pro-slavery southerners in kansas territory said all free-staters were abolitionists. this was in order to motivate the south's opposition. however, eli thayer and other new england company leaders denied that they were seeking to abolish slavery. also, the failed topeka constitution drafted by the free-staters in 1855 would have excluded any black person from settling in kansas. this is whether they were slaves or free. in contrast, abolitionists wanted equal rights for all blacks and to end discrimination against them.