1854 U. S. CONSTITUTION. Owned by Colonel Under John Brown & Framer of Kansas Anti-Slavery Constitution

A treasure indeed. The present Constitution is signed twice by one of the most significant figures in Kansas, Civil War, and Abolitionist history in the Western Territories. Likely acquired specifically to aid its owner as they drafted the anti-slavery Topeka Constitution of 1855. George W. Smith [1806-1878] was educated as a lawyer and emigrated to Kansas, where he quickly aligned with and became influential in the emerging abolitionist Free-State Party. And he was involved on all fronts.  He played a critical role s a legal mind and scholar. At the Big Springs Convention in July of 1855 he helped prepare the case against the rampant pro-slavery voter fraud that resulted in the "Bogus Legislature." He then served on the Executive Committee at the formation meetings for the free-State Party at Topeka in September of 1855, where they established a parallel abolitionist territorial legislature and began drafting an anti-slavery constitution, known as the Topeka Constitution.    The Free-