Statehood 1861

Kansas

Kansas was explored by Spanish conquistadores in the 16th century before France claimed the Mississippi basin as Louisiana in 1682. France ceded the territory to Spain following the Seven Years' War, and Spain held it as Spanish Louisiana from 1762 to 1801, before briefly retroceding it to France. Most of Kansas became permanently part of the United States through the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, and after an unorganized period, it was formally organized as the Territory of Kansas on May 30, 1854, before being admitted to the Union as a free state on January 29, 1861.

Statehood
1861
Historic sites
1,692
Military engagements
331

Pre-contact era

Kansas was home to nomadic Native American tribes who hunted the vast herds of bison on the eastern edge of the Great Plains. In around 1450 AD, the Wichita people founded the great city of Etzanoa, which was abandoned in around 1700 AD.

Colonial history

Spanish presence was exploratory in nature; the region was later explored by French fur trappers who traded with Native Americans.

The vast French Louisiana was not widely developed, due to a lack of human and financial resources. French fur trappers traded with Native Americans in the region.

Louisiana was a province of New Spain from 1762 to 1801. There was little Spanish presence in the wide expanses of what they called the Illinois Country.

Napoleon Bonaparte made plans to further develop France's control but strained by operations in the Caribbean and Europe, he sold the territory to the United States. The area was under French control in part from 1801 to 1803.

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The Land
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Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
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The Community
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Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
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Explore Kansas records

1,692
National Register historic sites
National Register listings ›
331
Military engagements
Military history records ›
1
Civil War regiments
Union, Confederate, USCT ›
15
Indigenous groups
Heritage records ›
5
Notable figures
Born in Kansas ›
15
Colonial-era events
1492 to early statehood ›
Kansas counties
Census population history ›
Sources

State history content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Historic sites data: National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

About Kansas

When did Kansas become a state?
Kansas was admitted to the Union in 1861.
What European powers colonized Kansas?
The territory that became Kansas passed through several colonial periods. Spanish presence was exploratory in nature; the region was later explored by French fur trappers who traded with Native Americans. The vast French Louisiana was not widely developed, due to a lack of human and financial resources. French fur trappers traded with Native Americans in the region. Louisiana was a province of New Spain from 1762 to 1801. There was little Spanish presence in the wide ex
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