The Project Gutenberg eBook, A History of Kansas, by Anna E. (Anna Estelle) Arnold

Memorial Hall

A HISTORY OF KANSAS

BY

ANNA E. ARNOLD

AUTHOR OF CIVICS AND CITIZENSHIP

PUBLISHED BY
THE STATE OF KANSAS
IMRI ZUMWALT, State Printer
TOPEKA, 1919
7-6552

Copyright 1914, Anna E. Arnold

Copyright 1919 (Revised), Anna E. Arnold
All Rights Reserved

PREFACE

No State has a history better calculated to inspire patriotism in its people than has Kansas. In this fact lies the greatest reason for teaching Kansas History in the schools. A knowledge of the difficulties that have been met and conquered in building the State will create in the minds of the boys and girls a greater respect for the sturdy qualities of the pioneers; it will give them a wholesome sense of the great cost at which the ease and comfort of to-day have been purchased; it will stimulate in them a desire to live up to the past.

If the study of Kansas History is to accomplish these results, the subject must be presented in such a way as to arouse the interest of the pupils. They must feel its reality. They must catch its spirit.

With the hope of fulfilling in some measure these requirements, this book has been prepared with the following aims constantly in mind: to make it, as nearly as possible, a narrative; to select from the wealth of material at hand such subject matter as is within the comprehension of children, eliminating such matter as can be fully understood and appreciated only by mature minds; to present the general movement of the State’s progress rather than a mass of unrelated facts. Only so much detail has been used as is necessary to a clear understanding of events. The purpose has not been to chronicle a multitude of events, but rather to show forth what manner of men and women were the builders of our State, what motives actuated them, what conditions surrounded them, how they lived, and what they accomplished.

An effort has been made to give the pupils a general view of the State’s history as a whole, to give them a framework on which to build their later knowledge, and to leave them with a desire to learn more of Kansas history.

Anna E. Arnold.

CONTENTS

QUIVERA—KANSAS

In that half-forgotten era,

With the avarice of old,

Seeking cities he was told

Had been paved with yellow gold,

In the kingdom of Quivera—​

Came the restless Coronado

To the open Kansas plain,

With his knights from sunny Spain;

In an effort that, though vain,

Thrilled with boldness and bravado.

League by league, in aimless marching,

Knowing scarcely where or why,

Crossed they uplands drear and dry,

That an unprotected sky

Had for centuries been parching.

But their expectations, eager,

Found, instead of fruitful lands,

Shallow streams and shifting sands,

Where the buffalo in bands

Roamed o’er deserts dry and meager.

Back to scenes more trite, yet tragic,

Marched the knights with armor’d steeds

Not for them the quiet deeds;

Not for them to sow the seeds

From which empires grow like magic.

Thus Quivera was forsaken;

And the world forgot the place

Through the lapse of time and space.

Then the blue-eyed Saxon race

Came and bade the desert waken.

— Eugene Ware.

A HISTORY OF KANSAS

CHAPTER I

THE BEGINNING OF KANSAS HISTORY

Introduction. More than four centuries have passed since Columbus discovered America. During that time the hunting ground of three hundred thousand Indians has become the United States with its more than one hundred million civilized people. In the center of this great nation, which occupies nearly half the area of the continent, lies Kansas, a rectangle four hundred miles long and two hundred miles wide.

Kansas is a part of the great plain that slopes gradually from the foothills of the Rocky Mountains to the Mississippi River. Its surface, cut by many eastward-flowing streams, lies level in the west but in the east curves into countless hills and valleys.

On these broad prairies to-day are thousands of cattle, and great fields of corn, wheat, and alfalfa. Towns and cities are scattered over the State, and the country between is dotted with the homes of farmers. There are mines, factories, churches, schools, and colleges. Uniting all are miles and miles of railroad. Kansas is now the home of more than a million seven hundred thousand of busy, prosperous people. But it was not always so; these prairies were once used only by the Indian and the buffalo. If we are to understand how this change has come about we must begin with the coming of the first white men to America.

The First White Men in Kansas. At that time Spain was the most powerful nation of Europe, and since she had furnished the funds for the voyage of Columbus she claimed the first right to America and became the pioneer in the exploration of the New World. The Spaniards first explored the Gulf of Mexico and Florida, discovered the Pacific Ocean and the Mississippi River, and were the first to sail around the world. In 1519 Cortez, a Spaniard, landed on the present site of Vera Cruz and marched into the heart of Mexico, the home of the Aztec Indians. He made himself master of that great region and called it New Spain. All of these expeditions were too far south to reach what is now Kansas, but only a few more years were to pass before this far-off country was to be explored by the adventurous Spaniards, the first white men to set foot on Kansas soil.

Cabeza de Vaca. In 1528 Narvaez, a Spaniard, led an exploring expedition westward from Florida along the Gulf of Mexico. Through various misfortunes and hardships nearly all of the party perished. One of the commanders, Cabeza de Vaca, and three of his men were taken prisoners by the Indians. After being held in captivity nearly six years they succeeded in making their escape. They fled westward, and after an adventurous journey of nearly two years reached a Spanish settlement near the western coast of New Spain. The exact route followed by Cabeza de Vaca and his companions can never be known, but his accounts of their wanderings were largely the cause of the expedition of Coronado, who was the first white man known with certainty to have traveled across what is now Kansas.

Purpose of the Spaniards. The chief purpose of all the Spanish explorers was to search for wealth. Cortez is said to have made this remark to the Indians: “We Spaniards are troubled with a disease of the heart for which we find gold, and gold only, a specific remedy.” The hope of finding gold and precious stones lying about like pebbles lured many Spaniards into enterprises filled with terrible hardships. Reports of great cities of untold wealth to the northward, the “Seven Cities of Cibola,” as they were called, had reached New Spain at various times, and when Cabeza de Vaca told similar tales that he had heard from the Indians it stirred the Spaniards to explore the region.

Coronado. Great preparation was made for an expedition. An army of three hundred Spaniards and eight hundred friendly Indians was gathered and placed under the command of Coronado. This was a large army for those times and the burden of furnishing it with arms and supplies fell heavily on New Spain. But so hopeful were the people of the success of the expedition that no sacrifice seemed too great. In the spring of 1540 the long march into unexplored country began.

The Search for Quivira. After months of travel in a northerly and then in a northeasterly direction, Coronado and his army reached the province of Cibola, which was probably in the western part of what is now New Mexico, and the “Seven Cities” proved to be ordinary adobe Indian villages. They took possession of the Indian supplies and spent the winter in the villages. The Indians, anxious to get rid of their unwelcome visitors, persuaded a Quivira Indian, whom they held as a prisoner, to tell the Spaniards tales of the wonderful land of Quivira in order to lead them off into the wilderness where they would die from lack of food and water. Coronado and his men listened to this Indian, whom they called “Turk,” and followed him as a guide for many days. He led them steadily toward the east, and after a time they became convinced that they were being deceived and made him confess that Quivira was far to the northward. They had been only too willing to listen to Turk’s stories, but when they learned that he had misled them they put him to death. Supplies were now low and Coronado sent back the main body of the army, which was composed of footmen, and with thirty horsemen started northward.

The Journeys of Cabeza de Vaca and Coronado.

Coronado in Kansas. It must be remembered that the whole country was a vast wilderness without names or boundary lines, and we can describe the journey of the Spaniards only by using names and boundary lines that have come into existence long since that time. As nearly as can be learned, Coronado and his men entered Kansas about where Clark County now is, and went on northward, crossing the Arkansas River at or near the site of Dodge City. From this point they followed the river to Great Bend, and then continued in a northeasterly direction to the vicinity of Junction City. At the end of their journey they set up a cross bearing the inscription: “Francisco Vasqueth de Coronado, commander of an expedition, arrived at this place.”

“Francisco Vasqueth de Coronado, Commander of an Expedition, Arrived at this Place.”

Quivira Found. After all this weary journey they had reached Quivira and found it to be merely the home of a tribe of Indians, the Quiviras, later known as the Pawnees. Coronado wrote in a letter to the King of Spain:

“The country itself is the best I have ever seen for producing all of the fruits of Spain, for, besides the land itself being very fat and black, and being very well watered by rivulets, springs, and rivers, I found prunes like those in Spain and nuts and very good sweet grapes and mulberries. I remained twenty-five days in this province of Quivira, both to see and explore the country, and to find out whether there was anything beyond which could be of service to your Majesty, because the guides who had brought me had given me an account of other provinces beyond this. And what I am sure of is that there is not any gold or any other metal in all that country, and the other things of which they told me are nothing but little villages, and in many of these they do not plant anything, and do not have any houses, except of skins and sticks, and they wander around with the cows. So that the account they gave me was false, because they wanted to get me to go there with the whole force, believing that as the way was through such uninhabitable deserts, and from lack of water they would get us where our horses and we would die of thirst. And the guides confessed this, and they said they did it by the advice of the natives of these provinces.”[1]

Coronado’s Return to New Spain. Empty-handed, Coronado and his little band of Spanish knights turned toward New Spain and carried to their waiting countrymen the disappointing story of their two years’ expedition. With this event fifty years had passed since the discovery of America, and for the next two and a half centuries little attention was paid to the Kansas country.

SUMMARY

The history of Kansas begins with the first exploration of this country by white men nearly four hundred years ago. Spain was the first nation to explore the New World. The chief purpose of the Spaniards was to find gold. They had heard from the Indians of rich cities to the northward, and when Cabeza de Vaca told them similar tales the people of New Spain decided to explore the country. They sent Coronado with a large army on a journey of exploration lasting two years. He failed to find gold, but his expedition is of interest because he was the first white man known to have traversed what is now Kansas.

REFERENCES

• Prentis, History of Kansas, pp. 1-23.
• Foster, A History of the United States, p. 29.
• Spring, Kansas, pp. 17-19.
• Andreas, History of Kansas, pp. 44-45.
• Bourne, Spain in America (vol. III, of The American Nation, a History).
• Blackmar, Kansas, Selected Topics.
• Historical Collections, vol. VII, pp. 20, 40, 268, 573; vol. VIII, p. 152; vol. X, p. 68; vol. XII, p. 219.
• Fourteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology.

QUESTIONS

1. How long has it been since Columbus discovered America?

2. Compare the population at that time with the present population of the United States.

3. In what part of the United States is Kansas?

4. Describe briefly the western part of the Mississippi valley. Describe the surface of Kansas.

5. What relation has Spain to the history of Kansas? Why did Spain claim the first right to America? Name some of the early discoveries of the Spaniards.

6. Where was New Spain?

7. What influenced the Spaniards in their ventures in the New World?

8. Who was Cabeza de Vaca? Of what importance is the account of his adventures?

9. Tell the story of Coronado. What is his relation to Kansas history?

CHAPTER II

KANSAS BECOMES A PART OF THE UNITED STATES

The French. While the Spaniards were searching for wealth in the southern part of North America the French were trading with the Indians in the northern part along the St. Lawrence River and around the Great Lakes. Among the French were many Catholic priests, called Jesuits, who came to carry their religious faith to the Indians. In 1673, one of these Jesuits, Father Marquette, accompanied a trader named Joliet on an expedition to explore the Mississippi River. They launched their canoes on the great river and floated downstream for hundreds of miles, between shores that in some places were thickly wooded, and in others were grassy plains. They went as far south as the mouth of the Arkansas River, and then turned and began the long, hard task of paddling back.

La Salle and Louisiana, 1682. Among those who heard of the journey of Marquette and Joliet was a young Frenchman, La Salle. He planned to explore the whole Mississippi basin and to take possession of it in the name of the King of France. In 1682, with a few companions, he floated down the Mississippi to its mouth. Here, with much ceremony, they planted a cross, buried a leaden plate inscribed with the arms of France, and declared that all the land drained by the Mississippi River and its tributaries should belong to France, and should be named Louisiana in honor of the French King, Louis XIV. Thus in 1682, nearly two centuries after the discovery of America, Kansas came into the possession of the French.

The End of Spanish and French Explorations. The French soon planted a few colonies and forts along the Mississippi River and sent out explorers, some of whom may have entered the present bounds of Kansas. This roused the Spaniards in Mexico, who wished to hold the territory for Spain, and they also sent expeditions. The armies of both nations suffered severely at the hands of the Indians and the exploration of the Kansas country was given up by both Spain and France, and for nearly a century more it lay almost forgotten. The next exploration of this territory was by people of another nation.

The English. While the Spaniards were busy in the South and the French in the North, another people, the English, began to make explorations in the new continent. They did not come to hunt for gold, nor to trade with the Indians, but to found homes. They settled along the Atlantic coast between the French in Canada and the Spaniards in Florida, and claimed the country westward to the Pacific Ocean.

Conflict of French and English Claims. As time went on and the settlements increased in number, the claims of the French and the English conflicted and caused much strife between the colonies of the two countries. The question of the ownership of the land was not settled until the close of the French and Indian War in 1763. As a result of this war France gave up all her claims in America, practically everything east of the Mississippi to England, and that west of it to Spain. In 1800 Spain ceded her portion of America back to France.

The Louisiana Purchase, 1803. In the meantime the English colonies had fought the Revolutionary War and become an independent nation. In 1803, when Thomas Jefferson was President, the United States bought from France her tract of country lying west of the Mississippi River. This was known as the Louisiana Purchase, and the date is one to be remembered, for it marks the end of French claims in America, and it marks the time when what is now Kansas became a part of the United States.[2]

One Century More. More than three centuries of American history had passed and the country west of the Mississippi River remained unsettled and practically unknown. The Spaniard and the Frenchman had come and gone, but the Indian still hunted the buffalo on the prairies. The white man had not yet made his home in the Kansas country.

SUMMARY

Spain explored in the South in search of wealth, France in the North to trade in furs with the Indians, and England along the coast between these two to establish homes. Spain claimed the Kansas country because of the exploration by Coronado, France through the claims of Marquette and La Salle, and England through the ocean-to-ocean claim. None of the nations succeeded in accomplishing anything here, and the Kansas country was left alone for nearly a century after it came into the possession of France. At the close of the French and Indian War the country west of the Mississippi was ceded to Spain. Later it came again into the hands of France, and was purchased by the United States in 1803.

REFERENCES

• Elson, History of the United States, pp. 161, 384.
• Fiske, Discovery of America, vol. II, chap. XII.
• Foster, A History of the United States.
• Prentis, History of Kansas, pp. 24-40.
• Parkman, La Salle and the Great West.
• Spring, Kansas, pp. 19-20.
• Historical Collections, vol. IX, p. 250; vol. X, p. 336.
• Wilder, Annals of Kansas, pp. 15-18.

QUESTIONS

1. Who were the Jesuits? What can you say of Marquette? Joliet? La Salle?

2. Contrast the motives of the French and Spanish in coming to America.

3. Why did the English come to the New World?

4. What territory was claimed by the French? By the Spanish? By the English?

5. To what nations did what is now Kansas successively belong? How and when did it first become a part of the United States? How long was this after the discovery of America?

CHAPTER III

EXPLORATION OF THE KANSAS COUNTRY BY THE UNITED STATES

President Jefferson Sent Explorers. When the United States bought Louisiana the country from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean was a vast unknown area. President Jefferson was eager to learn something about the great West, and sent out several exploring parties.

Lewis and Clark. The first expedition, sent in 1804, the year following the purchase of Louisiana, was in charge of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. They were instructed to move up the Missouri River and on to the Pacific Ocean. After a difficult journey lasting two and a half years the party returned to St. Louis and brought to the people of the United States much important information concerning the West. It is the part of their journey along the border of what is now Kansas in which we are most interested.

The Journey. With about forty-five men and three boats Lewis and Clark started up the Missouri River in the spring of 1804. Two horsemen rode along the bank to hunt and bring in game, which was to go far toward supplying provisions for the expedition. After a five weeks’ journey they reached the mouth of the Kansas River, and encamped that night on the present site of Kansas City, Kansas. From there they continued up the Missouri River where it forms the present boundary line of Kansas, along the border of what has since become Leavenworth, Atchison, and Doniphan counties. Their account of the journey describes the country through which they passed and the different Indian tribes and villages they saw. It speaks of an Indian tribe as “hunting on the plains for buffalo which our hunters have seen for the first time.” Again we read, “Pecan trees were this day seen, and large quantities of deer and wild turkey.” By July 4 they had reached a point not far from the present city of Atchison. They did not have the means for much of a celebration, but their observance of the day included the firing of “an evening gun” and the naming of two streams, Fourth of July Creek, and Independence Creek. Independence Creek still retains its name. A week later they passed the fortieth parallel, which afterward became the northern boundary of Kansas, and continued on their way to the Pacific.

Pike’s Expedition. In 1806 another exploring party was sent out in command of Zebulon Montgomery Pike, a young lieutenant in the army. He was instructed to ascend the Missouri River, visit the various Indian tribes in the Kansas country, go west until the frontier of New Mexico was reached, then south toward the source of the Red River which he was to descend to the Mississippi, and thence to St. Louis, the starting point. The journey did not, however, follow just this route.

Pike Visits the Osage Indians. The Osage Indians lived in the eastern part of Kansas, south of the Kansas River. At their villages Pike purchased supplies for the overland journey. From there he went west and then northwest toward the Pawnee village which is believed to have been within the bounds of what is now Republic County.

Pike Among the Pawnees. About the time he crossed the Solomon River he came upon the trail of Spanish troops. It seems that the authorities in Mexico had in some way heard of the Pike expedition and had sent an army of five hundred men to intercept him. These forces missed each other, but when Pike reached the village of the Pawnee Indians he found them in possession of many blankets, bridles, saddles, and other things which they had received from the Spaniards. After having been visited with much ceremony by the mounted and lordly army from Mexico, the Indians were not inclined to be courteous to Pike and his score of dusty, bedraggled footmen. After much unpleasantness and delay a council attended by four hundred warriors was held. In his opening address Pike spoke, among other things, of the numerous Spanish flags in the village. Pointing to one which floated above the tent of the head chief, he demanded that it be lowered and that an American flag be put in its place. Several Indians made speeches without mentioning the flag. Pike again told them they must choose between the Spanish and the American governments. The Americans awaited the answer in anxious suspense. Finally an old chief arose. He slowly hauled down the Spanish flag, laid it at Pike’s feet, and received the American flag in return. This he unfurled above the chiefs tent, and for the first time, so far as is known, the Stars and Stripes floated over Kansas.

Pike in Colorado. From this place Pike and his men moved southwest to the Arkansas River, where the party divided, some of them going down the river and on home. Pike and his remaining men, instead of searching for the Red River according to instructions, followed the Arkansas River into what is now Colorado. They pushed westward, and after many days of travel sighted a mountain, which appeared at first like a small blue cloud but which proved to be a great bald peak of the Rocky Mountains. This peak has since been named Pike’s Peak in honor of the explorer. By this time it was winter and their supplies were low. Pike and his men suffered terribly from cold and hunger while wandering among the mountains. Hoping to better their condition they moved toward the southwest, only to find themselves taken prisoners in Spanish territory. Later, however, they were escorted across Texas to the American frontier in Louisiana and released.

The Expedition of Pike, and the Location of the Original Indian Tribes.

There were no clearly defined boundaries between the tribes.

The Return of Pike. A whole year had passed before they found themselves again in St. Louis, a year of hardship for them, but well worth while, nevertheless, for Pike brought back a great deal of valuable information. That he was a better soldier than farmer may be seen from this passage taken from his journal:

“From these immense prairies may rise one great advantage to the United States, viz., the restriction of our population to certain limits, and thereby a continuation of the union. Our citizens, being so prone to rambling and extending themselves on the frontiers, will, through necessity, be constrained to limit their extent on the west to the borders of the Missouri and the Mississippi, while they leave the prairies, incapable of cultivation, to the wandering aborigines of the country.”[3]

The Great American Desert. Another explorer, Major Long, who came in 1819 and 1820, likewise expressed the idea that most of the country was unfit for cultivation, and therefore uninhabitable by an agricultural people. He even went so far as to say the country bore a “resemblance to the deserts of Siberia.” Washington Irving, the great writer, said of this region: “It could be well named, the Great American Desert. It spreads forth into undulating and treeless plains and desolate sandy wastes, wearisome to the eye from their extent and monotony. It is a land where no man permanently abides, for at certain seasons of the year there is no food for the hunter or his steed.”

An Indian Village.

The tribes that lived in permanent homes built lodges consisting of an embankment of earth topped with a row of poles brought together at the center and thatched with bark and grass.

The views of these men largely molded public opinion concerning the West. The country out of which has been carved such prosperous agricultural states as Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska was, a hundred years ago, known as the “Great American Desert,” and was so named on the maps of that time.

Interior of an Indian Lodge.

Indian Tribes in Kansas. The western prairies had for untold ages been occupied by Indians. At the time of Pike’s expedition there were four tribes living within the present bounds of Kansas. These were the Kanza, the Osage, the Pawnee, and the Comanche tribes. The Kanza, or Kaw, Indians lived in the northeastern part of the State and were the ones seen by Lewis and Clark in their expedition up the Missouri River. It is from this tribe that Kansas probably received its name. The Osage Indians were located in the eastern part, south of the Kansas River. The Pawnee tribe lived north and west of the Kanza Indians. It was in the Osage village that Pike secured supplies for his journey, and in the Pawnee village that he caused the Spanish flag to be lowered. The Pawnees were once called the Quiviras. The first of their tribe that we know anything about was “Turk,” who led Coronado into the wilderness. These three tribes lived in permanent homes and had their tribal villages, but the fourth tribe were wanderers. They were the Comanches, sometimes called the Padoucas, and they roved over the western part of Kansas and adjacent territory, hunting buffaloes and following the herds as they grazed from place to place. They were fine horsemen, and brave, but very fierce and warlike.

The Kansas of a Century Ago. This was the Kansas of a century ago. At that time it had received neither name nor boundaries. For the first fifty years that this region was a part of the United States, that is, from the purchase of Louisiana until Kansas was organized as a territory in 1854, the country was little used by the white people except as a pathway to the West.

SUMMARY

President Jefferson, wishing to learn something of the unknown western country, sent out two exploring expeditions. The first, in 1804, was in charge of Lewis and Clark, who were to follow the Missouri River and to go on across the mountains until they reached the Pacific coast. They passed along the northeast border of Kansas. The next exploring party was in command of Pike. His route was somewhat in the form of a circle. Beginning at St. Louis it was to pass through Kansas, then south, then east, and up the Mississippi to St. Louis. He visited the Osage Indians in eastern Kansas, the Pawnee Indians in northern Kansas where he raised the American flag, and then marched into Colorado where he discovered Pike’s Peak. From Colorado he went into what is now New Mexico, where he was taken prisoner by the Spaniards. They took him nearly to the Mississippi River and released him. On his return he reported this country as unfit for settlement, and his opinion was shared by later explorers. At the time of Pike’s expedition there were four tribes of Indians in Kansas, the Osages, the Kanzas, the Pawnees, and the Comanches.

REFERENCES

• Prentis, History of Kansas, pp. 31-41.
• Andreas, History of Kansas, pp. 49-53.
• Coues, Expedition of Zebulon Montgomery Pike.
• Blackmar, Kansas, vol. II.
• Historical Collections, vol. IX, p. 574; vol. VII, pp. 261-317; vol. VI, p. 325; vol. X, pp. 15-159.

QUESTIONS

1. What was known of the Louisiana Purchase at the time it was acquired by the United States?

2. Who were Lewis and Clark? Give an account of their expedition as it related to Kansas.

3. What route was Pike instructed to take?

4. Describe Pike’s visit to the Osages. His visit to the Pawnees. By what other name do we know the Pawnees?

5. Give an account of the remainder of Pike’s journey.

6. What was Pike’s opinion of the Kansas country? Long’s opinion? Washington Irving’s opinion?

7. How much of Kansas did the Louisiana Purchase include?

8. What Indian tribes lived within the present bounds of Kansas? Locate and tell something of each.

9. When was Kansas Territory organized? How long was this after the Louisiana purchase?

10. What use did the white people make of Kansas during this period?

The Santa Fe and Oregon Trails, and Early Lines of Railroad, through Kansas.

CHAPTER IV

KANSAS AS A PATHWAY

Mexico a Century Ago. Nearly three centuries passed from the time Cortez led the Spaniards into Mexico until Kansas became a part of the United States. During those years Spanish settlements had increased in number until at the time of Pike’s expedition Mexico included most of what is now California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado.

Old Santa Fe. Santa Fe, said to be the second oldest city in the United States, was the most important point on the northern frontier of Mexico. In those days it was not like the busy American Santa Fe of to-day. It had about two thousand inhabitants, practically all Spaniards, and they lived in little adobe houses arranged around a public square after the manner of Spanish cities.

Origin of the Santa Fe Trail. The “Great American Desert” lay between Santa Fe and the settlements of the western border of the United States. But Captain Pike’s interesting descriptions of the wealth and resources of the Spanish country stirred up enthusiasm, and Americans began to make their way across the plains to trade with the Spaniards. Santa Fe soon became an important trading point for all of northeastern Mexico. The traders, on their journeys to the Spanish city, wore a pathway that crossed the length of Kansas. This pathway came to be called the “Santa Fe Trail.”

Captain Becknell the First Trader. Although a few earlier trips were made, the trade with Santa Fe really began in the year 1822 with the journey of Captain Becknell, of Missouri. He had started out the year before to trade with the Indians, and had gone on with a party of Mexican rangers to Santa Fe where he sold his small supply of merchandise so profitably that he decided to try again on a larger scale. In 1822 he took about thirty men and five thousand dollars’ worth of merchandise. His success encouraged others, and a regular trade with Santa Fe was soon established.

Scenes in Early Santa Fe.

Left, a street scene. Upper right, an adobe house. Lower right, the old “Palace,” used by the Spanish and Mexican authorities as government headquarters for about two centuries. It was in this building that Pike was held prisoner.

Merchandise Carried on Pack Mules. For several years most of the transportation along the Trail was done with pack mules. A caravan of pack mules usually numbered from fifty to two hundred, each animal carrying about three hundred pounds of merchandise. From the earliest times the Mexicans had used pack mules as a means of transportation, and were skilled in handling them. For this reason the American traders usually employed Mexicans for the work of the pack train. The average rate of travel of a mule train was from twelve to fifteen miles a day. Since the Trail was nearly eight hundred miles long, fifty to sixty days were required for the trip.

Wagons Used on the Trail. Probably the first time that wagons were used was in 1824, when a company of traders left Missouri with twenty-five wagons and a train of pack mules. This experiment was so satisfactory that the use of wagons soon became general and mules were used less and less as pack animals.

The Traders and the Indians. Travel over the Santa Fe Trail rapidly increased, and the history of those days is filled with stories of exciting adventure, of danger, of privation, and of deeds of courage. The source of greatest danger and excitement was the Indians, for they did not take kindly to the white men’s use of their hunting grounds. For several years the traders crossed the plains in small parties, each man taking only two or three hundred dollars’ worth of goods, and they were seldom molested. But peace did not last long. The Indians soon learned more about the journeys of the traders and how to estimate the value of their stock. Also, many of the traders considered every Indian a deadly enemy and killed all that fell into their power simply because some wrong was known to have been committed by Indians. This treatment tended to stir up the hatred of the red men and to make them watch every opportunity for revenge.

An example of the enmity between the Indians and the traders may be seen in an occurrence of 1828. Two young men went to sleep on the bank of a stream a short distance from their caravan, and were fatally shot, it was supposed, with their own guns. When their comrades found them one was dead, and the other died by the time the caravan reached the Cimarron River, about forty miles farther on. During the simple burial ceremonies a party of six or seven Indians appeared on the other side of the river. It is probable that these Indians knew nothing of the crime committed or they would not have approached the white men. Some of the men took this view, but, against their advice, the others fired and killed all of the Indians but one, who escaped to carry the news to his tribe. The Indians of the wronged tribe then followed the caravan to the Arkansas River where they robbed the traders of nearly a thousand head of horses and mules. Other robberies and murders followed until it became necessary for the traders to petition the National Government for troops. The next year soldiers escorted the caravan nearly to the Cimarron River. Government protection was furnished again in 1834, and in 1843. In the other years the traders fought their own way, but the day of small parties was over. For mutual protection, the traders banded together. A single big caravan started out each spring as soon as the grass was sufficient to pasture their animals, and returned in the fall.

The Starting Point of the Traders. For many years the city of Franklin, on the Missouri River, was the starting point of the traders, the place where they purchased their goods and their outfits. Later, Independence, Missouri, and finally Westport which is now a part of Kansas City, became the emporium of the Santa Fe trade. The tourists and traders began to gather about the first of May for the journey that would begin near the middle of that month.

Supplies Taken. The ordinary supplies to be taken for each man were about fifty pounds of flour, fifty pounds of bacon, ten pounds of coffee, twenty pounds each of sugar, rice, and beans, and a little salt. Anything else was considered an unnecessary luxury and was seldom taken. The buffalo furnished fresh meat for the travelers.

Teams and Wagons. After the first few years horses were little used on the Trail except for riding. A wagon was usually drawn by eight mules or oxen, though some of the larger ones required ten or twelve. The large wagons often carried as much as five thousand pounds of merchandise and supplies. The loading of the wagons for a journey of nearly eight hundred miles was a very particular piece of work.

Council Grove the Meeting Place. Although the traders banded together in one big caravan, they did not all start from the same place nor at the same time. The Kanza and Osage Indians seldom committed worse deeds than petty thievery, and the more warlike Comanches and Pawnees did not often appear along the first two hundred miles of the Trail. The place where all the wagons united to form a caravan was Council Grove, a point about one hundred and fifty miles west of Independence. In those days Council Grove consisted of a strip of fine timber along the Neosho valley. It is said to have been named in 1825 by the United States Commissioners who met on this spot some Osage Indians, with whom they made a treaty for the right of way for the Santa Fe Trail. About 1850 a blacksmith shop and two or three traders’ stores were established at Council Grove and this place became “the last chance for supplies” for westbound travelers.

Council Oak,

Under which the Commissioners and Indians met at Council Grove to make their treaty. It is still standing. A Santa Fe marker has been placed beneath its branches.

Journeys of Gregg. We can not get an idea of those days in a better way, perhaps, than by following an account of one of the caravans. Josiah Gregg, who crossed the prairie eight times, has left a very interesting record of his experiences. Many of the following facts are taken from his account of the journey of 1831.

Organization of the Caravan. For this particular trip there were two hundred men and nearly a hundred wagons, with a dozen smaller vehicles, and two carriages carrying cannon. The total value of the merchandise was about $200,000. For so large an undertaking it was, of course, necessary to have some kind of organization. According to custom, therefore, they elected officers and adopted a set of rules. The head man was the “Captain of the Caravan,” who directed the order of travel, selected the camping grounds, and performed many other duties of a general nature. The wagons were divided into four groups, each group under the charge of a lieutenant, who selected crossings and superintended the “forming” of the camp. The men were well armed with rifles, shotguns, and an abundant supply of pistols and knives.

The Starting of the Caravan. When the time came to start from Council Grove the command “Catch up! Catch up!” sounded by the captain and passed on to all the groups, started a scene of hurry and uproar as the teamsters vied with each other to be first to shout “All’s set!” After a period of shouting at animals, the clanking of chains, and the rattling of harness and yokes, all were ready. The command “Stretch out!” was given, and the line of march began.

Crossing the Plains.

The Country West of Council Grove. Council Grove seemed to form the western boundary of the very rich, fertile, and well timbered country. From here westward the streams were lined with but little timber growth, and much of that was cottonwood. The country was mostly prairie, with the vegetation gradually becoming more scarce. The traders usually lashed under their wagons a supply of logs for needed repairs, for Council Grove furnished the last good wood they would pass. Westward from Council Grove not a single human habitation, not even an Indian settlement, was to be seen along the whole route. It is difficult to imagine such a condition in Kansas only eighty years ago.

North American Bison, Commonly Called Buffaloes.

They were described by Cabeza de Vaca as “crooked-backed oxen.”

Buffaloes Sighted. Soon after leaving Council Grove the traders began watching for buffaloes, and when a small herd was sighted it created much excitement. About half the men had never seen these animals before. All the horsemen rushed toward the herd, and some of the drivers even left their teams and followed on foot.

Pawnee Rock. After a few more days of travel, during which nothing more serious happened than a few false alarms of Indians, they reached the Arkansas River. Another day’s travel over a level plain brought them in sight of Pawnee Rock, a great rock standing on the plains near the Big Bend of the Arkansas, and a landmark known from one end of the Trail to the other. The surrounding country was not occupied by any tribe of Indians, but was claimed by all of them as a hunting ground, for it was a fine pasture for buffaloes. For many years it had been the scene of bloody battles between different tribes. The Rock afforded an excellent hiding place and retreat. Since the old Trail passed within a few yards of it, this became a dreaded spot for the traders, for at this point they seldom escaped a skirmish with the Indians. The Rock probably received its name from some of the bloody deeds of the Pawnees, who were especially connected with these scenes.

Pawnee Rock.

Forming Camp. When the caravan camped at Ash Creek the traders found a few old moccasins scattered around and some camp fires still burning, which seemed to indicate the near presence of Indians. They had, up to this point, marched in two columns, but after crossing Pawnee Fork they formed four lines for better protection in case of attack. In camp the wagons were arranged in the form of a hollow square, each line forming a side. This provided an enclosure for the animals when needed, and a fortification against the Indians. Ordinarily the camp fires were lighted outside the square, the men slept on the ground there, and the animals were picketed near.

The Caches. The next important stopping place was The Caches, near the present site of Fort Dodge. All that marked this spot from the surrounding country was a group of pits in the ground. A number of years before, a small party of traders had attempted to go to Santa Fe in the fall. By the time they reached the Arkansas River a heavy snowstorm forced them to take shelter on a large island, where they were kept for three months by the severe winter. During this time most of their animals perished. When spring came, having no way to carry their goods, they made some caches,[4] where they stored their merchandise until they could bring mules to haul it to Santa Fe.

The Trail Divided into Two Routes. At Cimarron Crossing the Trail divided, and did not reunite until within a few miles of Santa Fe. The southern route was shorter, but it meant crossing fifty miles of desert before reaching the Cimarron River. In all that stretch of level plain there was no trail, nor landmark, nor stream of water. Travelers sometimes lost their way in this desert, and unless they had prepared for this part of the journey by taking along a sufficient supply of water, they perished of thirst.

An Experience with Indians. This caravan decided to take the southern route. A band of Indians soon appeared, carrying an American flag as a token of peace. They talked with the traders by means of signs and told them there were immense numbers of Indians ahead. A little later a band of warriors appeared and threatened to fight. There was great excitement as the caravan prepared for battle and the Indians continued to pour over the hills. But there was no fighting, for the chief came forward with his “peace pipe,” from which the captain took a whiff. The warriors were ordered back to rejoin the long train of squaws and papooses who were following with the baggage. There were probably three thousand Indians in this party, and they moved down into the valley and pitched their wigwams. The traders felt sure that since the women and children were along the Indians would not be hostile, and they, therefore, formed their camp a few hundred yards away. The Indians gathered around to gaze at the wagons, for it was probably the first time most of them had ever seen such vehicles. Some of them followed to the next camp, and the next day a large number of them gathered around the caravan. This sort of thing continued until the traders made up a present of fifty or sixty dollars’ worth of goods to “seal the treaty of peace.”

Their First News. Some days later the caravan met a Mexican buffalo hunter. He told the traders the news from Santa Fe, the first they had heard since the return of the caravan of the year before. To-day Kansas City and Santa Fe are little more than twenty-four hours apart by rail, and we read the latest news from both places in the morning and evening papers.

Round Mound. Round Mound, standing nearly a thousand feet above the level of the surrounding plain, in what is now New Mexico, was one of the landmarks along the Trail. At that point the caravan had completed about three-fourths of the journey to Santa Fe. As they approached the Mound some of the party decided to ascend it. They felt certain that it could not be more than half a mile away, but they had to go fully three miles before reaching it. This remarkable deception in distance is characteristic of the West.[5] Nothing of particular note occurred from Round Mound to the end of the journey.

Arrival at Santa Fe. The arrival of the caravan at Santa Fe was a source of excitement for both the traders and the city and was celebrated with much festivity. The traders had entered what was in those days a foreign country and had to pay duties on their goods at the custom house. Then came the business of selling these goods to those who had come in from the surrounding country to buy, after which the traders, or freighters as they were often called, prepared for the long return journey, planning to finish the round trip before the winter began. This was but one of many trips made over the Santa Fe Trail.

Travel Across Kansas During the ’40’s. There was a war between the United States and Mexico in 1846-’48. The trouble between the two countries checked the Santa Fe trade between the years 1843 and 1850, but even under those circumstances there was much travel across Kansas during the ’40’s.[6] There were four principal classes of travelers: soldiers, emigrants to Oregon, Mormons, and California gold seekers.

The Soldiers. The war with Mexico broke out in 1846, and many of the United States soldiers were sent to that country by way of the Santa Fe Trail. This increased the travel across the prairies.

The Oregon Settlers. The remote unsettled region in the Northwest, known as Oregon, was soon to become the home of civilized people. In 1842 wagon trains of emigrants began to undertake the long and weary journey to that far-off country. Others soon followed, and during the next few years many thousands of people settled in the Oregon country.

The Mormons. In those days the Mormon Church had not been long established, but their beliefs had brought the Mormons into trouble with the people around them and with the Government, and they had been forced to move several times. The last time was in 1845, when they left Nauvoo, Illinois, and began the long and perilous journey to the valley of Great Salt Lake, in which region the main body of them remains to-day.

The “Forty-niners.” In 1848 a man named James Marshall, who was running a sawmill near the present site of Sacramento, California, discovered shining particles of gold in the mill race, and it was soon found that there were rich gold fields in that part of the country. The news spread, not rapidly as it would to-day, for there were no railroad or telegraph lines west of the Mississippi River and only a few east of it, but within a short time the whole country and even Europe had heard of the California gold fields, and people from all parts of the world began to make their way to the Pacific coast. Some went by water but more of them made the journey overland. Long lines of wagons, or prairie schooners as they were called, wound their way across the plains and over the mountains to California. It is estimated that ninety thousand people passed through Kansas on their way to California during the two years 1848 and 1849, a few of them to gain wealth, but thousands to be disappointed, and many to perish on the way.

The Oregon Trail. The Oregon settlers, the Mormons, and the gold seekers entered Kansas at or near Atchison, Leavenworth, St. Joseph, or Westport, and moved toward the northwest, crossed the border into Nebraska, and went on across the mountains. The road worn by this westward-moving stream of emigrants was known as the Oregon Trail, though it was sometimes called the Mormon Trail, and more often the California Road. For two thousand miles the Oregon Trail stretched away through an utter wilderness, and every mile of it came to be the scene of hardship and suffering, of battle, or of death. It was one of the most remarkable highways in history. It had several branches, and in many places it followed different routes at different times. The largest number of travelers over this Trail entered Kansas at Westport and followed for a short distance the Santa Fe Trail. Near the present town of Gardner stood a signboard on which were the words, “Road to Oregon.” At this point the two historic highways divided. It has been said that, “never before nor since has so simple an announcement pointed the way to so long and hard a journey.”

SUMMARY

The Santa Fe Trail was a great road about 775 miles long, beginning successively at the Missouri towns, Franklin, Independence, and Westport, and extending westward to Santa Fe. Four hundred miles of its length were in Kansas. Travel began in 1822 for the purpose of trading with Mexico. The first merchandise was carried on pack mules, but wagons began to be used in 1824. The traders experienced much trouble with the Indians, and in 1829 they began going together in big caravans for protection. The gathering place was Council Grove, where they organized and started. A few of the well-known sites along the Trail were Pawnee Rock, Ash Creek, Pawnee Fork, and The Caches. At Cimarron Crossing the Trail divided. The northern branch followed the Arkansas and crossed the mountains over practically the same route as that followed by the Santa Fe Railway to-day. The southern branch was the cut-off across the desert. Another historic highway was the Oregon Trail, sometimes called the Mormon Trail and sometimes the California Road. This Trail crossed the northeast corner of Kansas.

REFERENCES

• Inman, The Old Santa Fe Trail.
• Parrish, The Great Plains.
• Pamphlet by Historical Society, Santa Fe Trail.
• Prentis, History of Kansas, pp. 42-49.
• Gregg, Commerce of the Prairies.
• Blackmar, Kansas, vol. II, p. 645.
• Andreas, History of Kansas, p. 54.
• Historical Collections, vol. VIII, p. 137; vol. IX, p. 552; vol. XII, p. 253-269.
• Hunt, California the Golden.
• Aplington, Pilgrims of the Plains. (A novel.)

QUESTIONS

1. What part of the United States did Mexico own a hundred years ago?

2. Describe the city of Santa Fe. How did trade first begin with Santa Fe?

3. Tell about the journey of Captain Becknell.

4. Discuss the use of pack mules on the Trail. When were wagons first used?

5. What was the attitude of the Indians and the traders toward each other?

6. What places were in turn the starting point of the traders?

7. What supplies were usually taken?

8. How did Council Grove get its name? Of what importance was the place?

9. Who was Josiah Gregg?

10. Describe the organization of the caravan. The starting.

11. What occurred when buffaloes were sighted?

12. What is told of Pawnee Rock?

13. How was camp formed at Ash Creek?

14. Describe The Caches. How did this place receive its name?

15. Where did the Trail divide? Describe each route.

16. What experience did the travelers have with the Indians?

17. Explain the occurrence at Round Mound.

18. Describe the arrival of the caravan at Santa Fe.

19. Discuss the Santa Fe trade during the ’40’s.

20. Name the classes of travelers who crossed Kansas in the ’40’s, and give an account of each.

21. Name and describe the trail made by these travelers.

CHAPTER V

KANSAS AS AN INDIAN COUNTRY

Kansas Belonged to the Indians. During the years when the white men were traveling back and forth across Kansas they were not making settlements here. The country remained in the undisputed possession of the Indians. The white men did not want it as yet. They looked upon these vast prairies, not as a resource, but as so much land to be crossed in reaching places farther west. But changing conditions in the states east of the Mississippi River made people begin to look upon Kansas in a different light. The country there was becoming thickly settled and the people wanted the lands of the eastern Indians.

Removal of Eastern Indians to Kansas. Soon after the Louisiana purchase was made people began to talk of an Indian reserve, of a state set aside for the Indians, and it was believed that these western prairies would be useful for such a purpose. Nothing definite was done, however, until 1825, when the National Government began the “removal policy.” The eastern part of Kansas was occupied by two tribes of Indians, the Kanzas, or Kaws as they are often called, north of the Kansas River, and the Osages south of it. In 1825 the National Government made treaties with these two tribes. Under the provisions of these treaties each tribe retained only a small part of its territory, the rest being ceded to the Government. In return, the Indians were to receive certain annual payments and were to be supplied with cattle, hogs, and farming implements. The Government was also to provide them with blacksmiths and with teachers of agriculture. With these two tribes restricted to their reservations, a large part of eastern Kansas was left to be apportioned into reservations for Indians from the East. In 1830 Congress passed an act setting aside an Indian country, which included eastern Kansas. Then the removal policy was carried out. Under this arrangement the Government made treaties with the various eastern tribes by which they gave up their lands in exchange for certain tracts in the Indian country. The Shawnees had come in 1825, and during the ten or twelve years following 1830 about seventeen tribes were located on reservations in Kansas. Among these were the Iowas, Sacs and Foxes, Kickapoos, Delawares, Chippewas, Pottawatomies, Wyandottes, and Miamis. By 1850 there was not a tribe left east of the Mississippi River. The Indians had all been moved to these western plains, and no white man could settle on any of the reservations without the consent of the Indians.

An Indian in War Dress.

Indians Removed from Kansas. According to the treaties the Indians were promised their land “so long as grass should grow or water run.” But it soon developed that the white men wanted Kansas also. In 1854 we find the tribes being again transferred, this time to the Indian Territory, now Oklahoma, where the remnants of the various tribes still remain.[7]

Although Kansas was not used during those early years to make homes for white settlers, a few hundred people came here. They were of three different classes; fur traders, missionaries, and soldiers.

Indian Reservations in Kansas.

The Fur Traders. It is impossible to say when the first hunters and trappers came to these western plains, for they were generally obscure men and little was known of their comings and goings, but they were the real pathfinders of the West. There are records of fur traders here in the very early years of the nineteenth century, and they gradually went farther and farther into the vast wilderness. The streams of travel across Kansas in the ’40’s followed paths that had been pointed out by the fur traders.

The fur companies established many trading posts, which served as forts for protection against the Indians and as places to which hunters and trappers could bring their furs. Some of the hunters and trappers were employed by the fur companies, and others worked independently.

Many Indians also engaged in this trade, and often they were given tobacco, whisky, and weapons in exchange for their furs. In this way much of the work of the missionaries was undone. In the earlier years the hunters and trappers found many kinds of wild animals in Kansas: the buffalo, the wolf, the fox, the deer, the elk, and the antelope, and along the streams the beaver, the otter, the mink, and the muskrat. Later the main supply of furs came from the mountains, and the whole fur trade gradually moved west of what is now Kansas.

The Indian Tepee,

Made of poles and buffalo hides, was the only home of the wandering tribes, and was used by the other tribes when on hunting trips.

Father Padilla, the First Missionary in Kansas. The attempt to civilize the Indian began in the days of the early explorers, and it was on Kansas soil that the first missionary’s life was lost in the cause. This man was Father Padilla, a Jesuit, who came with Coronado on his journey to Quivira. Father Padilla became much interested in the Quivira Indians and remained to do missionary work among them. His preaching was of short duration, however, for he was soon killed, whether by the Quiviras or some other tribe is not known.

Kansas Missionaries of the Nineteenth Century. Centuries later, when Kansas became a part of the United States and was explored and traversed by white men, missionaries were among the first to arrive. They came to instruct the Indians in the Christian religion and to persuade them to adopt the customs of civilization.

Of the many who came, Rev. Isaac McCoy probably deserves first mention. He had spent many years in work among the Indians and strongly urged the removal policy. He believed that if they could live in a separate state, free from contact with the white race, the Indians could be civilized, and he gave his life to this work.

Jotham Meeker and his wife were among the most devoted of the missionaries, but there were many others, both men and women, who placed the welfare of human beings above mere gain and who endured the hardships of life among the savages for the sake of the good they might do.

Missions Established. As soon as the eastern Indians were removed to Kansas a number of missions were established by Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Friends, and Catholic churches. The work of the missionaries was not confined to religious instruction. Schools were established,[8] books were printed, the Indian girls were taught cooking and sewing, and the boys were taught farming and such trades as blacksmithing and carpentry.

Shawnee Mission as First Built in 1830.

In 1839 a new location was selected and fine new buildings constructed.

The most noted mission in Kansas was the one established by the Methodist Church for the Shawnee Indians near the present site of Kansas City. This mission was opened in 1830 and continued its work for more than a quarter of a century. It had a large tract of land and good buildings, and maintained a successful school. Rev. Thomas Johnson, who took a prominent part in early Kansas affairs, was in charge of the mission.

Pawnee Flats at Fort Riley.

Near the center of the view is the old Pawnee Capitol.

Pontoon Bridge at Fort Riley.

The Soldiers. The third class of people who came to early Kansas was the soldiers. Their presence was necessary for the protection of the few white people against the Indians. Fort Leavenworth was established by the National Government in 1827, as headquarters for the troops. This was shortly after the beginning of the Santa Fe trade. During the ’40’s this fort was used as a base of supplies for the soldiers of the Mexican War, and as an outfitting point for many of the California gold seekers and Mormon emigrants. Fort Leavenworth is to-day one of the most important of the national forts. A number of other forts were established, among them Fort Riley, Fort Dodge, Fort Scott, and Fort Hays, but all of these have been abandoned except Fort Riley.

Above is the Old Wall at Fort Leavenworth. This wall is all that remains of the original Fort. The lower picture is of the Main Parade at Fort Leavenworth at the present time.

Population of Pre-territorial Kansas. Kansas remained in possession of the Indians until 1854, when it was organized into a territory. With this date a new era began. At this time the white population consisted of about twelve hundred people, one half of them soldiers and the other half connected with the trading posts and the missions.

SUMMARY

When the country that is now Kansas became a part of the United States it was occupied by four tribes of Indians. In 1825 the Kanza and Osage tribes ceded a large part of their lands to the Government and the eastern quarter of the State was made a part of the Indian country by the Act of 1830. Following this a number of eastern tribes were removed to reservations in Kansas, where they remained until Kansas was organized as a territory, in 1854, when they were moved to Indian Territory, now Oklahoma. During these years there was much travel through the State, but up to 1854 the white population numbered only about twelve hundred. These people were of three classes; traders, missionaries, and soldiers.

REFERENCES

• Prentis, History of Kansas, pp. 50-64.
• Andreas, History of Kansas, pp. 58-74.
• Gihon, Geary and Kansas, chap. II.
• Inman, The Old Santa Fe Trail.
• Elson, History of the United States, chap. II.
• Kansas Historical Collections, vol. VIII, pp. 72, 171, 206, 250; vol. IX, p. 565; vol. X, p. 327; vol. XI, p. 333; vol. XII, pp. 65, 183.
• Holloway, History of Kansas, chap. VIII.
• Blackmar, Kansas, vol. I, pp. 655-703; vol. II, p. 291.

QUESTIONS

1. What use did the white people make of Kansas during the first half of the nineteenth century?

2. How did the condition of the Indians here differ from that of the Indians in the East?

3. What was the removal policy? Name some of the Indian tribes brought here. What promise was made them?

4. Name the three classes of white people who came to Kansas during this period.

5. Who was Father Padilla? Name some of the missionaries. What work did they do?

6. Tell of the fur traders and their relations with the Indians.

7. Why were the soldiers here?

8. When did Kansas cease to be an Indian country?

CHAPTER VI

KANSAS ORGANIZED AS A TERRITORY

The Year 1854 an Important Date. The year 1854 is an important one in the history of Kansas, for it brings to a close the period during which this region was used as a hunting ground by the Indians and marks the beginning of its use as a home for white people. The white settlers did not come in peace and quiet; the first dozen years following 1854 were filled with hatred, struggle, and bloodshed. This was brought about by conditions outside of Kansas. As we have seen, twenty-five years earlier Kansas was made an Indian territory because people in the states wanted the lands of the eastern Indians. In 1854 a terrible conflict began here because there was a division between the North and the South on the question of slavery.

Territorial Kansas.

Attitude of the North and the South Toward Slavery. Slavery had existed in the United States since very early colonial days. It had not been profitable in the northern states, but in the cotton fields of the southern plantations slave labor was in demand, and its use after the invention of the cotton gin had increased steadily with the passing years. The Northerners had long been opposed to slavery and made every effort to keep it from spreading into northern and western territory, while the Southerners were just as determined that it should flourish and that it should be extended into new territory. This difference between the North and the South developed great bitterness. Neither side lost any opportunity to take advantage of the other, and each was anxious to secure a majority in the Senate in order to obtain favorable legislation. This matter was so carefully watched that it had long been the custom to keep the “balance of power” between the states; that is, to admit free and slave states alternately so as to keep the number of proslavery and free-state senators balanced. The North, because of its more rapid growth in population, had long had a majority in the House.

The Missouri Compromise, 1820. Missouri was along the dividing line between the North and the South, and when it asked to be admitted to the Union there followed a long debate in Congress as to whether it should come in slave or free. The question was finally settled by the Missouri Compromise, which provided that Missouri might come in as a slave state but that all the rest of the territory included in the Louisiana Purchase and lying north of 36° 30′, the line forming the southern boundary of Missouri, should be forever free. In other words, slavery was to be forever excluded from Kansas and the territory lying north of it.

Slavery Trouble Brings on the Civil War. This was in 1820, about the time of the beginning of the Santa Fe trade. During the years when Kansas was an Indian country and was traversed by countless caravans the country remained bound by the terms of this compromise. But all this time the feeling of animosity between the North and the South was growing more intense; northern churches and newspapers denounced the evils of slavery, free-state and abolition parties developed, thousands of slaves were assisted in making their escape through the North to Canada in spite of the strict fugitive slave law, and there was bitter strife in Congress between the free-state and the slave-state members. The relations between the North and the South were becoming more and more strained. The time was rapidly approaching when the differences between the two sections were to be settled by a great war.

The Conflict Brought into Kansas in 1854. The Civil War began in 1861, the same year in which Kansas became a state; but seven years earlier, in 1854, Congress had passed a measure that brought the slavery trouble into Kansas and made this state the battle ground in the great national struggle over the slavery question.

The Kansas-Nebraska Bill, 1854. The measure passed by Congress that played such an important part in the history of Kansas and of the Nation was known as the Kansas-Nebraska Bill, and was the work of Senator Stephen A. Douglas, of Illinois. It provided that the two territories, Kansas and Nebraska, should be organized, and that the question of slavery should be left for the people of each territory to decide for themselves. This method of settling the question was known as “popular sovereignty.” Because the settlers were often called squatters it was frequently called “squatter sovereignty.”

Reception of the Bill. Kansas and Nebraska were part of the territory which, according to the terms of the Missouri Compromise, was to be forever free, but under the Douglas bill they were to become either slave or free as the people who settled the territories might decide. When this bill was introduced into Congress it raised a storm of indignation among those opposed to slavery, and the debate which ensued lasted for months. The whole North was aroused and poured forth objection and protest, but to no avail. The bill was passed May 30, 1854.

Result of the Bill. The Kansas-Nebraska Bill meant that the Missouri Compromise had been repealed and that there was no longer any boundary line against slavery. It meant that Kansas and Nebraska were offered as prizes to be contended for by the free and the slave states. The South said, “You may have Nebraska; Kansas is ours.” The North refused to recognize such a division of spoils, and insisted that both territories had been carved from free soil and should both come into the Union free. Both North and South desired to secure Kansas, and each side urged that as many as possible of its own people should emigrate to the new Territory. It could scarcely be expected that, under such circumstances, Kansas would be left for gradual and peaceful settlement. The result was that the scene of strife was transferred from Congress to these western prairies, and from that time until the admission of the Territory as a state the conflict between the forces of freedom and slavery was waged here.

Indians Removed from Kansas Lands. It must be remembered that at this time Kansas was an Indian country; that many of the eastern tribes had given up their lands in exchange for lands here which had been promised to them forever. Nevertheless, the Indians were removed from Kansas, many of them at once and others more leisurely. They were taken to what has since become Oklahoma, where many of them still live. In this way room was made for the white settlers to enter Kansas.

SUMMARY

For many years there had been bitter feeling between the North and the South on the slavery question. In 1820 the Missouri Compromise was passed. This measure provided that all the Louisiana Purchase lying north of the southern boundary of Missouri, except Missouri itself, should be forever free. This agreement was observed until the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Bill in 1854. This bill provided that the settlers of each of these territories should decide whether it was to be made slave or free. Each side was determined to win Kansas, and as a result the slavery struggle was brought here. In order to make room for settlers the Indians were moved to Indian Territory, now known as Oklahoma.

REFERENCES

• Prentis, History of Kansas, pp. 63-73.
• Spring, Kansas, pp. 2-16.
• Andreas, History of Kansas, pp. 81-82.
• Holloway, History of Kansas, chap. VI.
• Tuttle, History of Kansas.
• Larned, History for Ready Reference.
• Gihon, Geary and Kansas, chap. III.
• Historical Collections, vol. IX, p. 115; vol. VIII, p. 86.
• Foster, A History of the United States, pp. 325-329.
• Muzzey, American History, 379-412.
• Hodder, Genesis of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, in Proceedings of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1912, pp. 69-86.

QUESTIONS

1. Why is 1854 an important date in Kansas history?

2. What great national question affected Kansas at that time? Explain.

3. Explain the attitude of the North and the South toward slavery.

4. What was meant by the “balance of power”?