Final answer:
The 'border ruffians' from Missouri raided Lawrence, Kansas, as part of the violent events that contributed to the period known as 'Bleeding Kansas' during the mid-1850s.
Step-by-step explanation:
The "border ruffians" that raided Lawrence, Kansas, were from Missouri. This group comprised proslavery activists who participated in voter fraud and violence to influence Kansas' decision to become a slave state or a free state during the mid-1850s.
In 1856, following fraudulent territorial elections, these Missouri border ruffians, dissatisfied with the antislavery position of Lawrence, instigated a violent attack on the town. This raid was part of a larger conflict known as "Bleeding Kansas," which represented the contentious national debate over the expansion of slavery. The raid on Lawrence included burning the Free State Hotel, looting houses, destroying antislavery printing presses, and resulted in the death of one man. This event escalated tensions leading to further violence and guerilla warfare between the proslavery forces and antislavery Free-Soilers. Retaliation by abolitionists, such as John Brown, followed, further intensifying the conflict. The situation in Kansas highlighted the deep divisions within the United States and presaged the violence of the Civil War.