This image depicts the invasion of Border Ruffians, proslavery settlers from Missouri in which from 1854 to 1860, were crossing the border into Kansas territory with intentions of making the state of Kansas a slave state, and owning slaves within the territory. The border ruffians, along with other proslavery settlers, were confronted with many violent acts from the abolitionists who resided within Kansas with intentions to free the state of proslavery settlers, or anybody who had thoughts of owning slaves among the territory. These violent abolitionists were lead by a man by the name of John Brown, who was known for his violent fashion in which he would massacre and kill proslavery settlers, slave owners, and/or professional slave hunters. With border ruffians, or proslavery settlers from Missouri moving into the territory, John Brown and his followers committed many violent acts against these settlers and created a time in the state of Kansas known as "Bleeding Kansas", a time period known for its many violent events having to do with abolition preceding the Civil War of the United States. These events, along with John Brown himself, had a large racial significance within the 19th century in terms of justifying violence among free men and women in the United States for the greater cause of freeing slaves, and abolishing slavery. The "Bleeding Kansas" time period and the many acts orchestrated by John Brown many times go unnoticed or unrecgonized, but yet still carry large racial significance in the large problem of slavery in the 19th century, and American individuals' way of solving the issue.