Kansas Territory
From Free net encyclopedia
Image:Kansasterritory.PNG Kansas Territory was a historic, organized territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854 to January 29, 1861, when Kansas became the 34th U.S. state.
Contents |
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Kansas Territory was established by the politically significant Kansas-Nebraska Act. The Kansas-Nebraska Act became law on May 30, 1854 which established the Nebraska Territory and Kansas Territory. The act organizing Nebraska and Kansas contained thirty-seven sections. The original borders of the territory from were the Missouri border to the summit of the Rocky Mountain range; the southern boundary was the 37th parallel, the northern was the 40th parallel. Much of the eastern region of what is now the state of Colorado was part of Kansas Territory until the establishment of a separate Colorado Territory on February 28, 1861.
The provisions relating to Kansas were embodied in the last eighteen sections. Under the provisions of the act, Kansas was to be settled; its Government established, and its institutions decided by the incoming settlers. Some of the more notable sections were:
- Section 19
- Defines the boundaries of the Territory, gives it the name of Kansas, and prescribes that "when admitted as a State or States, the said Territory, or any portion of the same, shall be received into the Union with or without slavery, as their constitution may prescribe at the time of their admission." It further provides for its future division into two or more Territories, and the attaching of any portion thereof to any other State or Territory; and for the holding inviolable the rights of all Indian tribes till such time as they shall be extinguished by treaty.
- Section 28
- Declares the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 to be in full force in the Territory.
- Section 31
- Locates the seat of government of the Territory, temporarily at Fort Leavenworth, and authorizes the use for public purposes of the government buildings.
- Section 37
- Declares all treaties, laws and other engagements made by the United States Government, with the Indian tribes inhabiting the Territory, to remain inviolate, notwithstanding anything contained in the provisions of this act.
Within a few days after the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, hundreds of leading Missourians crossed into the adjacent territory, selected each his quarter-section, or larger area of land, put some sort of mark on it, and then united with his fellow-adventurers in a meeting or meetings, intended to establish a sort of Missouri pre-emption upon all this region.
The Missouri Emigrates
As early as June 10, 1854, the Missourian Emigrates held a meeting at Salt Creek Valley, a trading post three miles west from Fort Leavenworth, at which a Squatter's Claim Association was organized. They were in favor of making Kansas a "Slave State" if it should require half the citizens of Missouri, musket in hand, to emigrate there, and even sacrifice their lives in accomplishing so desirable an end. According to these emigrates, abolitionists or free-soilers would do well not to stop in Kansas Territory, but keep on up the Missouri River until they reach Nebraska Territory, where they can peacefully make claims and establish their abolition and free-soil notions for if they do, they will be respectfully notified that but one day's grace will be allowed for them to take up their bed and baggage and walk. Before the first arrival of Free State emigrants from the northern and eastern States, nearly every gentleman in Western Missouri had a claim staked out, and, by virtue of the claim laws established had become a landed proprietor and "Squatter Sovereign" of Kansas Territory.
Eastern Emigration
During the long and existing debate which preceded the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, it had become the settled opinion at the North that the only remaining means whereby the territory might yet be rescued from the grasp of the slave power, was in its immediate occupancy and settlement by anti-slavery emigrants from the free states in sufficient numbers to establish free institutions within its borders. The desire to facilitate the colonization of the Territory took practical shape while the bill was still under debate in the United States Congress. Organizations were incorporated with ample capital; others, only private associations of families from a neighborhood, combined in a communistic way for mutual aid and protection in establishing themselves in Kansas. Although differing much in name, strength, means and methods, they all had a common end in view: to direct and facilitate emigration to Kansas, and to aid in its speedy settlement by an anti-slavery population.
The emigration from the free states flowed into the territory, and settlements were made at various points, too scattered and remote from each other to attract either the attention or the enmity of the pro-slavery partisans, as at Lawrence. There were several free State men in the vicinity of Lawrence, who had come in from Iowa and the northwestern states prior to the arrival of the first party from New England. To protect themselves against the encroachments of non-residents, the "Actual Settlers' Association of Kansas Territory" was formed. According to previous notice, this association held a meeting on August 12, 1854, the object being the adoption of some regulations that should afford protection to the bona fide settlers, under laws not unlike those adopted by the pro-slavery squatters in the border region east, save in their restrictions against anti-slavery settlers. A compromise was effected, however, and a committee chosen from each association to agree upon a plan of union.
First Territorial Appointments
The first territorial appointments, looking to the inauguration of a local government, under the provisions of the organic law, were made in June and July, 1854. The officers appointed by President Pierce, whose appointments were confirmed by the United States Senate, and who entered upon the duties of their officer. The first governor was Andrew H. Reeder (of Easton, Pennsylvania) was appointed June 29, 1854. (Later, a letter of dismissal of July 28, 1858 removed Governor Reeder from office. His removal was officially announced July 31, and on August 16 Governor Reeder notified the Legislature of his removal.)
Territory's First Election
On March 30, 1855 "Border Ruffians" from Missouri invaded Kansas during the territory's first election and forced the election of a pro-slavery Territorial Legislature. The general facts concerning the Missouri invasion of the ballot boxes at the election were known throughout Kansas from the day after the election. The Pro-slavery residents, with their allies over the Missouri border, considered it a fair victory, fairly won. The Missourians had gone over to the various precincts in Kansas in overwhelming numbers, and elected a Pro-slavery Legislature. Only one antislavery candidate prevailed in the election, in the Riley County polling district where Manhattan had just been situated.
Free-state Movement
The Massachusetts Emigrant Aid Company was founded in 1854 by Eli Thayer of Massachusetts to support anti-slavery settlement of the Kansas territory. James H. Lane became involved in the abolitionist movement in Kansas in 1855. He was often called the leader of "Jay-hawkers" -- abolitionists movement in Kansas. The first Free-state convention was held in Lawrence on the evening of June 8, 1855, in response to a call signed "Sundry Citizens," "for the purpose of considering matters of general interest to the Territory." Whereas they stated, certain persons from the neighboring State of Missouri have, from time to time, made irruptions into this territory, and have fraud and force driven from and overpowered our people at the ballot-box, and have forced upon us a Legislature which does not represent the opinions of the legal voters of this Territory. Many of its members not being even residents of this Territory, but having their homes in the State of Missouri.
These people used violence toward the persons and property of the inhabitants of the territory. The convention resolved in favor of making Kansas a free Territory, and as a consequence, a free State; the convention looked upon the conduct of a portion of the people of Missouri in the late Kansas election as a gross outrage on the elective franchise and rights of freemen and a violation of the principles of popular sovereignty. The convention members did not feel bound to obey any law of illegitimate legislature enacted and opposed the establishment of slavery. The convention reserved the right to invoke the aid of the General Government against the lawless course of the slavery propaganda with reference to the Territory.
The Big Springs Convention
There was held in the public hall in Lawrence a "Ratification Convention." It was a regular "love feast." It was a general ratification of all that had been done and showed most conclusively that thereafter there was a united force in Kansas pledged to freedom which no opposing powers could intimidate nor inward dissensions divide.
See also
Resources and references
- Territorial Kansas Online
- Portions of this text was taken from William G. Cutler's History of the State of Kansas, first published in 1883 by A. T. Andreas, Chicago, IL.