US Senator from Massachusetts, Sumner was an abolitionist and led the fight for emancipation in the senate. In 1956 he gave a speech on Kansas and scorned those in favor of slavery and the want to make Kansas a slave state. After his speech, Congressman Preston Brooks attacked Sumner and beat him with his cane until he was unconscious. After recovering from his injuries, he led the fight for the 13th amendment and emancipation.
Sources:
Horton, James Oliver, and Lois E. Horton. Slavery and the Making of America. New York: Oxford, 2006. 157.
http://www.impeach-andrewjohnson.com/11BiographiesKeyIndividuals/CharlesSumner.htm