ne hundred and fifty years after Kansas was admitted to the Union, we still find ourselves fascinated by the specter of “Bleeding Kansas” and the violence that preceded the American Civil War by five years. Although ample attention has been devoted to understanding why territorial violence broke out in Kansas in 1856, of equal concern but less illuminated is the question of why government, both local and national, allowed the violence to continue unstanched for so long. This question is fundamentally about governanceits existence, exercise, limits, and continuanceand its study has ramifications for understanding both Kansas events and why the American experiment in government failed in 1861. In addition, the book also sheds light on the nature of democracy, the challenges of implanting it in distant environs, the necessity of cooperation at the various levels of government, and the value of strong leadership.

Jupiter's gift : the creation of Kansas Territory -- Territorial politics and the struggle for party supremacy, 1854-1855 -- Kansas in 1856 : the escalating conflict -- Congress and the Kansas issue in 1856 -- The 1856 presidential campaign and Kansas as a party issue -- Pledges and principles : Buchanan, Walker, and Kansas in 1857 -- "The noise of democracy" : the struggle over the Lecompton Constitution in Congress and Kansas -- Conclusion : "To the stars through difficulty."