A war in the Kansas Territory in the 1850s between anti-slavery northern immigrants and [[Border Ruffian|Border Ruffians]] from Missouri, as both sides tried to win in the [[Popular Sovereignty]] voting to determine whether Kansas would become a free or a slave state. According to Kansas historians, at least 56 and as many as 200 people were killed in political murder and terrorism. Presidents [[Franklin Pierce]] and [[James Buchanan]] both openly supported the pro-slavery side. As Southern states began seceding from the US, Kansas was admitted as a free state on the first day (January 29, 1861) there were no longer enough Southern senators to block the vote.