Cherokee Strip (Kansas)

The Cherokee Strip of Kansas, in the United States, was a disputed strip of land on the southern border of Kansas.

History
In 1825 the Osage Nation was given a reservation in eastern Indian territory in what is now Kansas. In the Treaty of New Echota, May 23, 1836, the northern border of the Cherokee Nation's land was set as the southern border of the Osage lands. When Congress passed the Kansas–Nebraska Act on May 30, 1854, it set the southern border of the Kansas Territory as the 37th parallel north. It was thought at the time that the Osage northern border was also the 37th parallel.

The Cherokees disagreed. They said that it was not the true boundary. They said that the border of Kansas should be moved north to make room for the actual border of the Cherokee land.

The situation happened during the troubles in Kansas leading up to the Civil War.

Under terms of Article 17 of the Treaty of 1866, the land was to be sold "at not less than $1.25 an acre [$309/km2]" for the first year. Then, it would be offered for sale at local land offices. In the first year, 156,848.47 acres (635 km2) were sold. 277,830.89 acres (1,124 km2) were given to land offices during the summer of 1879.

References

Category:Regions of Kansas