The 1856 beating of Charles Sumner on the floor of the United States Senate
A) was in response to a pro-slavery speech he had given.
B) was strongly condemned in the South.
C) was a vicious assault carried out by a member of the House of Representatives.
D) All these answers are correct.
E) resulted in Sumner's death from his injuries weeks later.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The 1856 beating of Charles Sumner was indeed a vicious assault carried out by Preston Brooks, a member of the House of Representatives, not in response to a pro-slavery speech but rather Sumner's anti-slavery speech. It was not strongly condemned in the South; in fact, Brooks received support from many Southerners. Sumner did not die from his injuries but was severely injured and took years to recover.

The 1856 Beating of Charles Sumner on the Floor of the United