border ruffian

noun

often capitalized B&R
: one of a group of proslavery Missourians during the period from 1854 until the beginning of the Civil War who used to cross the border into Kansas to vote illegally, make raids, and intimidate the antislavery settlers

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Cite this Entry

“Border ruffian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/border%20ruffian. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.

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