Early Expeditions
Explorer and Conquistador Coronado led an expedition in search of gold into Kansas. The French explored the region from 1719-25. The region was held by Native American Indians until 1803 when the US took over most of the land as part of the Louisiana Purchase. Lewis and Clark visited the Northeast section in 1803 Major Stephen Long led an expedition through the state in 1819.
Overland Route to the West
Kansas was used as the main overland route to the west. The Santa Fe Trail was opened by 1824 from Independence Missouri through Kansas territory to Santa Fe New Mexico. Other trails were used by pioneers to California and Oregon crossed through Kansas. Still the Mormons and gold seekers used other trails to get to their intended destinations. Nobody actually settle in Kansas until the area was secured in 1854. It was still Indian lands.
Native American Indian Tribes
There is evidence of Ancient Indian Cultures living along the Republican and Blue rivers in Kansas from 1200-1500. Indian tribes that lived in Kansas during the time the pioneers were headed west were: The Kansa, Wichita, Osage, Pueblos and Pawnee. Other tribes that hunted in Western Kansas were: the Apache, Cheyenne, Arapahoe, Comanche and Kiowa. In 1850, as part of the Indian Removal act, the US government sent 19 tribes to Kansas. At this time, about one fourth of the territory was Indian lands. After 1868, Indian tribes were removed to an other designated Indian territory. However, Indian raids still occurred until the late 1880 s.
The Potawatomi reservation is the largest in the state of Kansas. Its near Holton.
Kansas Nebraska bill of 1854 provided that the people should decide whether the territory would be a free or slave state. This created much turmoil during the following 6 years which is referred to as bleeding Kansas. Anti-slavery guerrilla bands were known as Jayhawkers, a free soil militia established in Lawrence. A Pro-slavery militia was raised. John Stringfellow organized Southern sympathizers in Leavenworth. What followed was a reign of terror. Men, women and children were murdered. Farms and houses were burnt. Raids were done. The city of Lawrence was sacked. The abolitionist John Brown led the Potawatomi massacre. Many other atrocities occurred. In 1856, federal troops helped ease the tension. The controversy continued until the end of the Civil War.
Kansas was granted statehood in 1861.
Kansas supplied about 20,000 men to the union army. The largest battle in Kansas was the battle of Mine Creek in 1864 where the Confederate army were badly defeated.
During the Civil war, border raids were led by Guerrilla, Indian and Confederate forces. Quantrill raided Kansas border towns in August 1863. He raided Lawrence burning the town and killing 150 citizens.
After the Civil War, many union veterans settled here
The coming of the Railroads
Railroads were chartered about 1857. The first train ran through the state in July 1860. By 1890, a total of 8,700 miles of track had been laid within the state. The coming of the railroads helped speed up settlement.
Before the Civil War, cattle began grazing on the open range. The railroads were used to transport the cattle to market. Cow towns sprang up along the railway. The cattle would graze on open graze near the railway that way it wasn't far to herd the cattle to transport. Saving lots of money, time and effort. Cattle trails such as the Chisholm trail were famous roadways to the cow towns. Cattle raising became a major industry here.
Partial list of Cow Towns