Hotels in
Kansas
Abilene
Arkansas City
Atchison
Beaumont
Belleville
Beloit
Bonner Springs
Chanute
Coffeyville
Colby
Columbus
Concordia
De Soto
Dodge City
El Dorado
Ellsworth
Emporia
Fort Scott
Garden City
Gardner
Goodland
Great Bend
Greensburg
Hays
Hesston
Holton
Hutchinson
Independence
Iola
Junction City
Kansas City
Lansing
Larned
Lawrence
Leavenworth
Lenexa
Liberal
Manhattan
Marysville
Mayetta
McPherson
Meade
Merriam
Newton
Oakley
Olathe
Ottawa
Overland Park
Park City
Parsons
Pittsburg
Pratt
Quinter
Russell
Salina
Sharon Springs
Shawnee
Topeka
Ulysses
Wakeeney
Wamego
Wellington
Wichita
Wilson
Winfield
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Kansas
became part of the United States on
January 19, 1861 as the 34th state in
the Union. Prior to admission to the
union, there was a bloody conflict
between territorial settlers over the
issue of slavery. Kansas was first
explored by Euro-Americans in 1541 when
the Spaniard Coronado entered the region
on a quest for gold.
Towards the late 18th century, Kansas
was one of several future states that
comprised the Louisiana Territory and
was claimed by France. In 1803, France
sold the Louisiana Territory to the
United States. Among the first Americans
to explore the state that would become
Kansas were Lewis and Clark who camped
along the Missouri River in Kansas in
1804.
During the westward expansion, the Santa
Fe and Oregon Trails crossed Kansas. In
1854, Kansas was opened to Euro-American
settlement with the passage of the
Kansas-Nebraska Act in congress. With
this began the conflict between pro- and
anti-slavery factions in Kansas.
While conflict raged over slavery, there
did not seem to be any objections to the
confiscation of Native American lands -
except by the Native Americans who lived
there. By 1871 most Indians had be
removed to reservations, displaced or
killed.
In 1857, gold was discovered at Pike's
Peak and the gold fever drew many people
to the area. Due to the continued growth
in the region the need for faster
communication was met by the
establishment of the Pony Express in
1860. The utility of the Pony Express
was short lived as the Transcontinental
Telegraph was completed in 1861.
With the passage of the Homestead Law in
1862, torrents of settlers flowed into
the area. In 1867, the arrival of the
Union Pacific Railroad fostered the rise
of some of the most notorious cow-towns
of the old west, Abilene
and Dodge
City.
In 1874, immigrants brought in a variety
of wheat called 'turkey red' that would
foster Kansas's growth as a wheat
growing economy.
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