Definition: though this massachusetts senator was beaten unconscious by rep. preston brooks before the civil war, he recovered to lead the charge of the "radical republicans" during the reconstruction era.

The Massachusetts Senator that was beaten unconscious by Representative Preston Brooks was Charles Sumner. Sumner gave a speech in which he called the southern opposition murderous robbers and said they had been picked from the vomit of an "uneasy civilization." He also called Senator Andrew Butler of South Carolina an imbecile and spewed countless other insults. Representative Brooks was related to Senator Butler and took great offense to Sumner's insults. Two days after the speech, Brooks made his way to the senate chamber and beat Sumner over the head with a cane until Sumner was unconscious.