Who violently attacked Charles Sumner in 1856, and what object did he use?

The violent attack on Charles Sumner in 1856 was perpetrated by Preston Brooks, who struck him with a cane. This incident occurred on May 22, 1856, in the Senate chamber and was rooted in the intense sectional conflict over slavery. Sumner had just given an impassioned speech criticizing pro-slavery politicians, specifically targeting Brooks's relative, Andrew Butler, which provoked Brooks to retaliate violently.

Brooks used a cane as his weapon, which he brought into the Senate specifically for this purpose. The brutal nature of the assault and the use of a cane—a seemingly mundane object—signified the extreme tensions of the era and the breakdown of civil discourse. The incident underscored the growing divisions in the United States leading up to the Civil War, illustrating how political debates had escalated into physical violence. The caning of Sumner became a symbol of this violent politicking and the deteriorating state of relations between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in the country.