Kansas History Guide

Located on the eastern edge of the Great Plains, the U.S. state of Kansas was the home of nomadic Native American tribes who hunted the vast herds of bison. Among the tribes, the Wichita and Pawnee are the best known to roam these areas before the European exploration started in 1541. Searching for gold and other treasures, the Spanish explorer Francisco Vasquez de Coronado arrived here in 1541.

Sieur de la Salle's extensive land claims for France (1682) included present-day Kansas. Ceded to Spain by France in 1763, the territory reverted to France in 1800 and was sold to the U.S. as part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Lewis and Clark, Zebulon Pike, and Stephen H. Long explored the region between 1803 and 1819. The first permanent white settlements in Kansas were outposts: Fort Leavenworth (1827), Fort Scott (1842), and Fort Riley (1853), established to protect travelers along the Santa Fe and Oregon Trails. In 1806, Zebulon Pike, an American explorer, told the government that the land was not good for farming. Congress passed the Indian Removal Bill in 1830, forcing Native Americans from the East onto reservations in Kansas.

The Kansas Territory was formed in 1854, and soon serious disagreements over slavery erupted; pro and con forces clashed across the territory, ending in 1859 when a non-slavery constitution was finally approved. People who didn't want slavery quickly moved to Kansas hoping they could outnumber those moving from Missouri, who did want it. There were many fights between these people, but eventually those against slavery won. Because of the great violence during this time, Kansas became known as "Bleeding Kansas."

On January 29, 1861, U.S. President James Buchanan signed a bill making Kansas the 34th state. America's Civil War soon began and this new state of Kansas sent thousands of its male population to help the Union defeat the southern Confederacy, and slavery. One of the largest civilian massacres in history occurred on August 21, 1863 when men favoring slavery raided Lawrence.

Kansans started raising cattle in the 1880s. Railroads were now built across the state. Soon towns were established and family farms spread across the state; the cattle industry prospered, and the miles and miles of wheat fields put Kansas on the map. Oil discovered near Neodesha created an economic boom for Kansas. By 1915, Kansas became a leading mining state. Drought stretched throughout the Midwest during the 1930s. The Dust Bowl ruined topsoil from Texas to North Dakota, hurting farmers. When the Great Depression hit many lost their lands.

In the early 1900s, Kansas developed into the most significant airplane manufacturing center on the planet, and its prolific farms helped feed the nation and the world, as it became the largest exporter of wheat. Drought hit Kansas again in the 1950s, but improved technology helped to save most of the crops. Irrigation with ground water was also developed at this time, allowing corn and grain to be grown with little rainfall. Agriculture remained important economically, but the population began shifting urban.

Today, wheat fields, oil-well derricks, herds of cattle, and grain-storage elevators are chief features of the Kansas landscape. A leading wheat-growing state, Kansas also raises corn, sorghum, oats, barley, soybeans, and potatoes. Kansas stands high in petroleum production and mines zinc, coal, salt, and lead. It is also the nation's leading producer of helium.

Wichita is one of the nation's leading aircraft-manufacturing centers, ranking first in production of private aircraft. Kansas City is an important transportation, milling, and meat-packing center.

Kansas Famous People

• Kirstie Alley (1955 - ) Actress starring in Cheers and Veronica?s Closet; born in Wichita.
• Robert D. Ballard (1942 - ) He discovered the Titanic shipwreck; born in Wichita.
• Walter Beech - (1891 - 1950) Outstanding pioneer of aviation; lived in Wichita.
• Gwendolyn Brooks (1917 - ) The first African American to win a Pulitzer Prize; born in Topeka.
• John Brown (1800 - 1859) Infamous abolitionist during the Civil War
• George Washington Carver (1864 - 1943) A great scientist, educator and humanitarian; graduated from Minneapolis Kansas High School.
• Clyde Cessna - (1879 - 1954) One of the outstanding pioneers of aviation; born in Hawthorne.
• Walter Chrysler (1875 - 1940) Founder of Chrysler Corporation in 1925; born in Wamego.
• Charles Curtis (1860 - 1936) The first Native American to serve as US vice president (1929-1933); born near Topeka.
• Bob Dole (1923 - ) United States senator for many years; he ran for President in 1996; born in Russell.
• Amelia Earhart (1897 - 1937) The first woman granted a pilot?s license by the National Aeronautics Associate, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean (1932), and the first person to fly solo across the Pacific; born in Atchison.
• Melissa Etheridge (1961 - ) Popular singer and guitarist; born in Leavenworth.
• Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890 - 1969) The 34^th United States President that served from 1953-1961; grew up in Abilene.
• James "Wild Bill" Hickok (1837 - 1876) A scout and U.S. marshal in the Old West.
• Omar Knedlik, Invented the first frozen carbonated drink machine in 1961; from Coffeyville.
• William Lear (1902 - 1978) One of the outstanding pioneers of aviation; lived in Wichita.
• Hattie McDaniel (1895 - 1952) The first black woman to win an Academy Award; won for her role in ?Gone with the Wind?; born in Wichita.
• Charlie Parker (1920 - 1955) One of the most influential improvising soloists in jazz, and a central figure in the development of bop in the 1940s; grew up in Kansas City.
• William Purvis & Charles Wilson, Invented the helicopter in 1909; from Goodland.
• Susan Madora Salter, The first woman mayor in the United States, elected in Argonia in 1887.
• Clyde Tombaugh (1906 - 1997) The astronomer who discovered the planet Pluto; grew up in Burdette.