the entire radical republican structure was a grouping to derail the missouri compramise. that self determination should choose its own destiny concerning slavery. so all the horse theives from ohio, and some of their " investors " from NY and MS decided to jump the land. that failed. they were killing eachother off. so they stopped. then, they hit Missouri itself. Lawrence was the only half fortified town they could base from. thanks to Anderson, Todd, and Quantrill, that was remedied in '63.