Border Ruan

The Border Ruans were pro-slavery activists from the

slave state of Missouri, who in 1854 to 1860 crossed the
state border into Kansas Territory, to force the acceptance of slavery there. The name was applied by FreeState settlers in Kansas and abolitionists throughout the
North. Armed Ruans interfered in territorial elections,
and attacked Free-State settlements. This violence was
the origin of the phrase "Bleeding Kansas". The Ruans
contributed to the growing sectional tensions, and helped
bring on the American Civil War.[1]

ture.
Despite these measures, far more Free-State settlers
moved to Kansas than pro-slavery settlers. In 1857, proslavery settlers in Kansas proposed the Lecompton Constitution for the future state of Kansas. The Ruans tried
to get the Lecompton Constitution adopted with additional fraud and violence, but by then there were too many
Free-Staters there.[4]

The Border Ruans also engaged in general violence

against Free-State settlements. They burned farms and
Notably, only a few of the Border Ruans actually owned sometimes murdered Free-State men.
slaves; most were too poor. What motivated them was hatred of Yankees and abolitionists, and fear of free blacks Most notoriously, the Ruans twice attacked Lawrence,
living nearby.[2] The Ruans were driven by the rhetoric Kansas, the Free-State capital. On 1 December 1855,
of leaders such as U.S. Senator David Rice Atchison of a small army of mainly Border Ruans laid siege to
Missouri, who called Northerners negro thieves and Lawrence, but were driven o. (This was the nearly
abolitionist tyrants. He encouraged Missourians to de- bloodless climax to the "Wakarusa War".)
fend their institution with the bayonet and with blood On 21 May 1856, an even larger force of Border Ruans
and, if necessary, to kill every God-damned abolitionist and pro-slavery Kansans captured Lawrence, which they
in the district.
sacked.[2] (See Sacking of Lawrence).
Ironically, the bulk of Free-State men in Kansas were Free-State settlers sometimes struck back. Free-State
not abolitionists, and opposed the presence of both free irregulars (known as Jayhawkers, Redlegs, or Redlegblacks and slaves. We want no slaves and we want no Ne- gers) attacked pro-slavery settlers and suspected Ruan
groes was the prevailing sentiment reported by an abo- sympathizers. Most notoriously, abolitionist John Brown
litionist in 1854. [3]
killed ve pro-slavery men at Pottawatomie.[2]
Additionally, the presence of bands of both Kansan and
Missourian combatants in the area made it dicult for
families on the border to remain neutral.

The Border Ruans in Bleeding

2 The Border Ruans in the Civil
Kansas
War

Kansas Territory was created by the Kansas-Nebraska

Act of 1854. The Act repealed the previous Federal During the Civil War, the violence in this area not only
prohibition on slavery in that area. Instead, the locally continued, but escalated tremendously. Many of the forelected territorial legislature would decide.[2]
mer Ruans became pro-Confederate guerrillas. They
At this time, many (probably most) of the settlers in operated in western Missouri, sometimes raiding into
Kansas opposed slavery. However, slavery advocates de- Kansas, and Union forces campaigned to suppress them.
termined to have their way regardless. When elections Farms were burned and looted. Suspected guerrillas
were held in Kansas Territory, bands of armed Ruans were killed; guerrillas killed Union sympathizers and susseized polling places, prevented Free-State men from vot- pected informers. (See Bushwhacker.)
ing, and cast votes themselves (illegally, since they were Many of the Union troops involved were Kansas JayMissourians).[2][4]
hawkers, and had deep grudges against Missourians. JayOn 29 November 1854, Border Ruans elected a pro- hawkers destroyed several towns in Missouri, such as
slavery territorial representative to Congress. On 30 Osceola. The destruction of Osceola is depicted in the
March 1855, the Ruans elected a pro-slavery legisla- movie The Outlaw Josey Wales.
1

See also
William T. Anderson
Bleeding Kansas
John Brown
William Quantrill
Sacking of Lawrence
George M. Todd

References

[1] Tom Ward; Carolyn Ward (2002). Border Ruans - KSCyclopedia - 1912. Retrieved 2007-11-19.
[2] Bleeding Kansas: Mid 1850s - Precursor to the Civil
War. www.u-s-history.com. 20022005. Retrieved
2007-11-19.
[3] Furnas, J. C. The Road To Harpers Ferry 1959, p.?
[4] Bleeding Kansas. Fort Scott National Historic Site.
paragraph 1. Retrieved 2007-11-19.

Bad Blood, the Border War that Triggered the Civil

War DVD documentary. Kansas City MO: Kansas
City Public Television (KCPT) and Wide Awake
Films. 2007. ISBN 0-9777261-4-2

REFERENCES

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