Charles Sumner

Born in Boston in 1811, Charles Sumner studied at Harvard College and Harvard Law School before building a reputation as a lawyer, lecturer, and gifted public speaker. Long before the Civil War, he spoke out against slavery and supported a broad range of reforms, including peace and equal rights.

Sumner entered the U.S. Senate in 1851 and quickly became a leading antislavery Republican. He is especially remembered for his uncompromising stand against slavery's expansion and for the 1856 assault in the Senate chamber, when Representative Preston Brooks attacked him after one of Sumner's speeches. The beating left him badly injured and turned him into a national symbol for the conflict tearing the country apart.

During the Civil War and Reconstruction, Sumner pushed for emancipation and full civil and political rights for African Americans. He remained one of the era's strongest advocates for equality until his death in Washington, D.C., in 1874, leaving behind a reputation for moral conviction, eloquence, and stubborn courage.