Caning of Charles Sumner
The Caning of Charles Sumner, or the Brooks–Sumner Affair, occurred on May 22, 1856, in the United States Senate chamber. Representative Preston Brooks, a pro-slavery Democrat from South Carolina, used a walking cane to attack Senator Sumner. The beating nearly killed Sumner and it contributed significantly to the country’s polarization over the issue of slavery. It has been considered symbolic...
