Missouri had been involved in fighting on the Kansas-Missouri border since 1854 over the issue of slavery. The dispute was aptly named Bleeding Kansas. When the Civil War began on April 12, 1861, the entire state of Missouri was firmly divided between pro-Confederate and pro-Union forces. The governor of Missouri, Claiborne Jackson refused to send volunteers from the state to fight for Abraham Lincoln when he called for troops. Instead, the governor had the state militia muster outside the city to begin training in preparation to join the Confederate forces. He called upon the legislature to authorize a state constitutional convention on secession. A special election approved of the convention, and sent delegates to it. This Missouri Constitutional Convention voted to remain within the Union. 