What term describes the pro-slavery Missourians who crossed into Kansas to influence elections?

The term that describes the pro-slavery Missourians who crossed into Kansas to influence elections is "border ruffians." This label emerged during the violent struggles known as "Bleeding Kansas" in the mid-1850s, a conflict that arose from the debate over whether Kansas would enter the Union as a free or slave state. Pro-slavery activists from Missouri, known as border ruffians, entered Kansas with the intention of voting illegally and pressuring settlers to support slavery. Their actions were part of a larger strategy to secure Kansas for the slaveholding South, reflecting the deep divisions in the United States over the issue of slavery at that time.

This context underscores the tumultuous nature of the period, highlighting how the struggle over Kansas served as a microcosm for the national conflict regarding slavery, leading to violence and increasing tensions between pro- and anti-slavery factions.