On September 18, 1854, the people of Lawrence made a government. On September 20, they wrote a constitution which did not allow slavery. The people of Lawrence wrote this constitution even though other people near them wanted slavery. On September 30, the people of Lawrence came together to protect Thomas J. Ferril, an anti-slavery clergyman from Missouri. Pro-slavery people went to Ferril's house and threatened violence. The pro-slavery people left when they saw free-state people coming with guns. On October 1, a woman destroyed the tent of a free-state man. Pro-slavery people came to stop the settlers from building the tent again, but they built the tent again without violence.