The 1855 Kansas Territory elections were a series of pivotal moments in the "Bleeding Kansas" conflict between pro-slavery individuals and "Free-Staters" in Kansas Territory. The initial elections for territorial legislature, held on March 30, 1855, were marred by widespread voter fraud, intimidation, and violence, as pro-slavery forces from neighboring Missouri crossed the border to cast ballots and suppress anti-slavery voters. In response, Kansas Territorial governor, Andrew H. Reeder, ordered new elections to be held on May 22 in certain districts. But even after the corrective elections, pro-slavery candidates still managed to win a majority of seats in the territorial legislature. When the legislature convened in July, it promptly ejected all the Free-State candidates who had won seats in the May elections. This act led to many Kansans lambasting the body as the "Bogus Legislature."
In October 1855, elections were held for a Congressional delegate to represent Kansas Territory in the House of Representatives. Pro-slavers held their elections on October 1 and choose John Wilkins Whitfield, whereas Free-Staters held theirs on October 8 and selected Reeder. Whitfield was initially seated as the lawful delegate, but after Reeder petitioned the House, the seat was vacated on August 1, 1856 and a new election was ordered.
Territorial legislature election results
Territorial Council results
+ Summary of the 1855 Kansas Territory Council election results Faction March 30 elections May 22 elections Total seats Pro-slavery 10 0 10 Free-State 1 2 3 Source:
March 30 election results + Council District 1Andreas (1883), p. 96.Howard et al. (1856), p. 31.FactionCandidatesVotes% Pro-slavery Thomas JohnsonEdward Chapman 900 79.08 Free-State Joel K. GoodwinSamuel Newitt Wood 273 23.08 "Scattering" votes 10 0.84 Total votes cast 1,183 Illegally cast 827 69.91 Pro-slavery gain
+ Council District 2FactionCandidateVotes% Pro-slavery A. McDonald 318 96.36 Free-State J. A. Wakefield 12 3.64 Total votes cast 330 Illegally cast 316 95.76 Results abrogated; new election orderedAndreas (1883), pp. 9798.
+ Council District 3FactionCandidateVotes% Pro-slavery H. S. Strickler 598 92.71 Free-State William F. Johnson 23 3.56 Free-State Rice 17 2.64 Free-State A. McDonald 4 0.62 "Scattering" votes 3 0.46 Total votes cast 645 Illegally cast 547 84.81 Results abrogated; new election ordered
+ Council District 4FactionCandidatesVotes% Pro-slavery A. M. CoffeeDavid Lykins 680 79.53 Free-State M. G. MorrisJames P. Fox 158 18.47 "Scattering" votes 17 1.99 Total votes cast 855 Illegally cast 630 73.68 Pro-slavery gain
+ Council District 5FactionCandidateVotes% Pro-slavery William Barbee 343 100 Total votes cast 343 Illegally cast 243 70.84 Pro-slavery gain
+ Council District 6FactionCandidateVotes% Free-State Martin F. Conway 139 66.51 Pro-slavery John Donaldson 68 32.54 "Scattering" votes 2 0.96 Total votes cast (Election Districts 9-12) 540 Total votes cast (Election Districts 9-10, 12) 209 Illegally cast (Election Districts 9-12) 345 63.89 Illegally cast (Election Districts 9-10, 12) 21 10.04 Free-State gain
+ Council District 7FactionCandidateVotes% Pro-slavery John W. Foreman 478 100 Total votes cast 478 Illegally cast 207 43.30 Pro-slavery gain
+ Council District 8FactionCandidateVotes% Pro-slavery W. P. Richardson 234 77.48 Free-State John W. Whitehead 68 22.52 Total votes cast 302 Illegally cast 166 55.00 Pro-slavery gain
+ Council District 9FactionCandidateVotes% Pro-slavery D. A. M. Grover 411 99.76 "Scattering" votes 1 0.24 Total votes cast 412 Illegally cast 332 80.58 Pro-slavery gain
+ Council District 10FactionCandidatesVotes% Pro-slavery R. R. ReesJ. J. Eastin 1,129 94.48 Free-State B. H. TwomblyA. J. Whitney 66 5.52 Total votes cast 1,195 Illegally cast 1,044 86.57 Pro-slavery gain
May 22 election results + Council District 2Andreas (1883), p. 101.FactionCandidateVotes% Free-State J. A. Wakefield 127 100 Total votes cast 127 Free-State gain
+ Council District 3FactionCandidateVotes% Free-State Jesse D. Wood 214 86.64 Free-State C. H. Washington 33 13.36 "Scattering" votes 14 0.84 Total votes cast 247 Free-State gain
Territorial House results
+ Summary of the 1855 Kansas Territory House of Representatives election results Faction March 30 elections May 22 elections Total seats Pro-slavery 15 3 18 Free-State 2 6 8 Source:
March 30 election results + House District 1FactionCandidateVotes% Pro-slavery A. S. Johnson 120 84.51 Free-State A. F. Powell 19 13.38 "Scattering" votes 3 2.11 Total votes cast 142 Illegally cast 65 45.77 Pro-slavery gain
+ House District 2FactionCandidatesVotes% Pro-slavery Jatues WhitlockJ. M. BanksA. B. Wade 781 74.81 Free-State John HutchisonE. D. LaddP. P. Fowler 253 24.23 "Scattering" votes 10 0.96 Total votes cast 1,044 Illegally cast 802 76.82 Results abrogated; new election ordered
+ House District 3FactionCandidatesVotes% Pro-slavery G. W. WardO. H. Brown 318 93.26 Free-State Isaac DavisE. G. Macy 12 3.52 "Scattering" votes 11 3.23 Total votes cast 341 Illegally cast 316 31.09 Results abrogated; new election ordered
+ House District 4FactionCandidateVotes% Pro-slavery D. L. Croysdale 366 98.65 Free-State Cyrus K. Holliday 4 1.08 "Scattering" votes 1 0.27 Total votes cast 371 Illegally cast 338 91.11 Results abrogated; new election ordered
+ House District 5FactionCandidatesVotes% Free-State A. J. Baker 25 64.10 Pro-slavery M. W. McGee 12 30.77 Free-State H. Rice 0 0 "Scattering" votes 2 5.13 Total votes cast (Election Districts 78) 273 Total votes cast (Election District 8 only) 39 Illegally cast (Election Districts 78) 209 76.56 Free-State gain
+ House District 6FactionCandidatesVotes% Pro-slavery Joseph C. AndersonS. A. Williams 315 90.0 Free-State John HamiltonWilliam Margraves 35 10.0 Total votes cast 350 Illegally cast 250 71.43 Pro-slavery gain
+ House District 7FactionCandidatesVotes% Pro-slavery W. A. HaskallA. WilkinsonH. YoungerSamuel Scott 684 80.19 Free-State John SerpellAdam PoreS. H. HouserWilliam Jennings 152 17.82 "Scattering" votes 17 1.99 Total votes cast 853 Illegally cast 630 Pro-slavery gain
+ House District 8FactionCandidateVotes% Free-State S. D. Houston 120 71.86 Pro-slavery Russell Garrett 41 24.55 "Scattering" votes 6 3.59 Total votes cast 167 Illegally cast 10 5.99 Free-State gain
+ House District 9FactionCandidateVotes% Pro-slavery J. Marshall 344 91.98 Free-State H. McCartney 26 6.95 "Scattering" votes 4 1.07 Total votes cast 374 Illegally cast 321 85.83 Pro-slavery gain
+ House District 10FactionCandidateVotes% Pro-slavery William H. Tibbs 237 98.75 Free-State C. Hard 3 1.25 Total votes cast 240 Illegally cast 230 95.83 Pro-slavery gain
+ House District 11FactionCandidatesVotes% Pro-slavery J. H. StringfellowR. L. Kirk 420 87.5 Free-State G. A. CutlerJohn Landis 54 11.25 "Scattering" votes 6 1.25 Total votes cast 480 Illegally cast Pro-slavery gain
+ House District 12FactionCandidatesVotes% Pro-slavery J. P. BlairT. W. Watterson 258 99.23 Free-State Joel RyanJohn Fee 2 0.77 Total votes cast 260 Illegally cast Pro-slavery gain
+ House District 13FactionCandidatesVotes% Pro-slavery H. B. C. HarrisJ. Weddell 412 100 Total votes cast 412 Illegally cast Pro-slavery gain
+ House District 14FactionCandidatesVotes% Pro-slavery H. B. McMeekenArchy PayneW. G. Mathias 897 93.83 Free-State Felix G. BradenSamuel FranceF. Browning 59 6.17 Total votes cast 956 Illegally cast 906 94.77 Results abrogated; new election ordered
May 22 election results + House District 2FactionCandidatesVotes% Free-State John HutchisonErastus. D. LaddPhilip P. Fowler 288 94.12 "Scattering" votes 18 5.88 Total votes cast 306 Free-State gain
+ House District 3FactionCandidatesVotes% Free-State Augustus WattlesWilliam Jessee 127 100 Total votes cast 127 Free-State gain
+ House District 4FactionCandidateVotes% Free-State Cyrus K. Holliday 148 99.33 "Scattering" votes 1 0.67 Total votes cast 149 Free-State gain
+ House District 14FactionCandidatesVotes% Pro-slavery H. B. McMeekenArchy PayneW. G. Mathias 700 97.90 "Scattering" votes 15 2.10 Total votes cast 715 Pro-slavery gain
Outcome
Initial returns suggested that voters had chosen 13 pro-slavery councilmen and 25 pro-slavery representatives. Free-state settlers immediately cried foul, citing demonstrable voting irregularities, leading the governor of Kansas Territory, Andrew Horatio Reeder, to scrutinize the results. On April 6, 1855, he declared Martin F. Conway the winner of the sixth district, and he also called for new elections for Council Districts 23 and House Districts 24, and 14. These elections, held on May 22, were all won by Free-Staters with the exception of the House District 14 race.
After the governor granted election certificates, the Council was consequently left with 10 pro-slavery and 3 Free-state members, whereas the House was left with 18 pro-slavery and 8 Free-state members.Andreas (1883), pp. 97101. When the territorial legislature met for the first time on July 2, 1855, however, it expelled all the Free-state men who had been elected in May. The remaining Free-State representative, S. D. Houston, would resign in protest on July 23. The legislature's decision to eject most of its Free-State members led to many in Kansas denouncing it as the "Bogus Legislature".
On March 19, 1856, the US House of Representatives tasked a special committee, comprising William A. Howard (O-Michigan), John Sherman (O-Ohio), and Mordecai Oliver (O-Missouri),Kansas State Historical Society (1881), pp. 146147. with investigating "the troubles in the Territory of Kansas."Howard et al. (1856), p. 1. Their report, "Report of the Special Committee Appointed to Investigate the Troubles in Kansas", was published later in 1856. In this document, the committee's majority contended that "each election in the Territory, held under the organic or alleged Territorial law, has been carried by organized invasion from the State of Missouri by which the people of the Territory have been prevented from exercising the rights secured to them by the organic law."Howard et al. (1856), p. 67.
The majority further argued that "the alleged Territorial legislature was an illegally constituted body, and had no power to pass valid laws, and their enactments are therefore null and void." For these reasons, the committee majority concluded that "in the present condition of the Territory a fair election cannot be held without a new census, a stringent and well-guarded election law, the selection of impartial judges, and the presence of United States troops at every place of election."
Congressional delegate election results
October 1 (Pro-Slavery) elections + Congressional delegate (October 1, 1855)PartyCandidateVotes% Pro-slavery Democrat John Wilkins Whitfield 2,721 99.38 "Scattering" votes 17 0.62 Total votes cast 2,738 Pro-Slavery Democrat selected as delegate
October 9 (Free-State) elections + Congressional delegate (October 9, 1855)Andreas (1883), p. 111.Admire (1891), p. 193.PartyCandidateVotes% Free-State DemocratSocolofsky (2021), p. 34. Andrew H. Reeder 2,849 100 Total votes cast 2,849 Free-State Democrat selected as delegate
Outcome Following the two elections, Whitfield (the incumbent who had last been elected in 1854) presented his election credentials to the 34th United States Congress and was subsequently seated as the delegate from Kansas Territory. Following this, Reeder petitioned Congress to eject Whitfield and install himself as the valid delegate. In response to this conflict, the House of Representatives issued the "Report of the Special Committee Appointed to Investigate the Troubles in Kansas", penned by a special committee tasked with analyzing the territory's elections.