Kansas Territory

The **Territory of Kansas** was a territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until January 29, 1861. This was when the eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Kansas.

The territory extended from the Missouri border west to the summit of the Rocky Mountains. North-south it ran from the 37th parallel north to the 40th parallel north. Much of the eastern region of what is now the State of Colorado was part of Kansas Territory. The western region of the former Kansas Territory, the Territory of Colorado, was created on February 28, 1861.

## Kansas–Nebraska Act 
: Nebraska–Kansas state line at intersection of Nebraska counties Thayer and Jefferson and Kansas counties Washington and Republic.]]
Kansas Territory was established by the Kansas–Nebraska Act. The Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed the settlers of Kansas Territory to determine by popular sovereignty whether Kansas would be a free state or a slave state. The Act contained thirty-seven sections. In another paper they warned: "The abolitionists will probably not be interrupted if they settle north of the fortieth parallel of north latitude, but south of that line, and within Kansas Territory they need not set foot. It is decreed by the people who live adjacent that their institutions are to be established, and candor compels us to advise accordingly." Unlike Free-Staters, they wanted equal rights for blacks. The official Free-State line supported the idea of excluding *all* Black people from the state of Kansas. While they didn't have slaves themselves most were prejudiced against black people believing the popular idea they were . Most of the settlers seemed to want free soil for white people only. Reeder was completely in sympathy with the pro-slavery southerners. Antislavery candidates prevailed in one election district, the future Riley County.

The first session of the legislature was held in Pawnee, Kansas (within the boundary of modern-day Fort Riley) at the request of Governor Reeder.

The last legislative act of the Territorial Legislature was the approval of the charter for the College of the Sisters of Bethany. This was February 2, 1861—four days after James Buchanan signed the act of Congress that officially brought Kansas into the Union.

James H. Lane joined the Free-State movement in 1855 and became president the Topeka Constitutional Convention from October 23 to November 11, 1855. He was later a leader of "Jayhawkers". The first Free-state mass-meeting was in Lawrence on the evening of June 8, 1855. Missourians were charged with voter fraud, ballot-box stuffing, and the "Bogus Legislature" which does not represent the legal voters of this Territory.

It was claimed that some Missourians had used violence toward the persons and property of the inhabitants of the Kansas Territory. It was agreed that Kansas should be a free State. Also that Missourians in the late Kansas election were a gross outrage on the elective franchise and rights of freemen. They were also charged with violating popular sovereignty. Those attending did not feel bound to obey any laws made by the  legislature.

## Bleeding Kansas 
The violent period following the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act is called Bleeding Kansas. Pro-slavery Missourians rushed in to claim land and push for the state to become a slave state. Free-Staters and abolitionists poured into Kansas from New England, Ohio, Iowa, and other midwestern states. In a short time they outnumbered the pro-slavery faction. However, when elections were held in Kansas Territory, bands of armed Ruffians seized polling places. They prevented Free-State men from voting, and they cast illegal votes. In , John Brown and 7 followers ted the Pottawatomie massacre. In this incident, Brown and his followers dragged five men and boys from their houses and murdered with swords, guns and knives.

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