Kansas () is a state located in the Midwestern United States. [1] It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa tribe, who inhabited the area. [2] The tribe's name (natively kka:ze ) is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south wind", although this was probably not the term's original meaning. [3] [4] Residents of Kansas are called "Kansans". Historically, the area was home to large numbers of nomadic Native Americans who hunted bison. It was first settled by European Americans in the 1830s, but the pace of settlement accelerated in the 1850s, in the midst of political wars over the slavery issue. When officially opened to settlement by the U.S. government in 1854, abolitionist Free-Staters from New England and pro-slavery settlers from neighboring Missouri rushed to the territory to determine if Kansas would become a free state or a slave state. Thus, the area was a hotbed of violence and chaos in its early days as these forces collided, and was known as Bleeding Kansas. The abolitionists eventually prevailed and on January 29, 1861, [5] [6] Kansas entered the Union as a free state. After the Civil War, the population of Kansas exploded when waves of immigrants turned the prairie into productive farmland. Today, Kansas is one of the most productive agricultural states, producing many crops, and leading the nation in wheat, sorghum [7] and sunflower production most years.

KANSAS - THE BAND TICKETS EVENT DATE AVAILABILITY Kansas - The Band Tickets 1/23 Jan 23, 2025 Thu, 8:00 PM Kansas - The Band Tickets 1/25 Jan 25, 2025 Sat, 8:00 PM Kansas - The Band Tickets 2/1 Feb 01, 2025 Sat, 8:00 PM Kansas - The Band Tickets 2/2 Feb 02, 2025 Sun, 8:00 PM Kansas - The Band Tickets 2/14 Feb 14, 2025 Fri, 8:00 PM

Geography

Kansas is bordered by Nebraska on the north; Missouri on the east; Oklahoma on the south; and Colorado on the west. The state is divided up into 105 counties with 628 cities. It is located equidistant from the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans. The geographic center of the 48 contiguous states is located in Smith County near Lebanon, Kansas. The geodetic center of North America was located in Osborne County until 1983. This spot was used until that date as the central reference point for all maps of North America produced by the U.S. government. The geographic center of Kansas is located in Barton County.

Topography

The western two thirds of the state, lying in the great central plain of the United States, has a generally flat or undulating surface. However, the eastern third has many hills and forests. The Flint Hills, for example, run from the Nebraska border to Northern Oklahoma and inhabit the cities of Manhattan, Council Grove, etc. The land displays a gradual slope up from east to west; its altitude above the sea ranges from along the Verdigris River at Coffeyville in Montgomery County, to at Mount Sunflower, one half mile from the Colorado border, in Wallace County. It is a popular belief that Kansas is the flattest state in the nation, reinforced by a well known 2003 study ^[8] stating that Kansas was indeed "flatter than a pancake." ^[9] This has since been debunked, with most scientists ranking Kansas somewhere between 20th and 30th flattest state, depending on measurement method. ^[10] The Missouri River forms nearly of the state's northeastern boundary. The Kansas River (locally known as the Kaw), formed by the junction of the Smoky Hill and Republican rivers at appropriately-named Junction City, joins the Missouri at Kansas City, after a course of across the northeastern part of the state. The Arkansas River (pronunciation varies), rising in Colorado, flows with a bending course for nearly across the western and southern parts of the state. It forms, with its tributaries (the Little Arkansas, Ninnescah, Walnut, Cow Creek, Cimarron, Verdigris, and the Neosho), the southern drainage system of the state. Other important rivers are the Saline and Solomon Rivers, tributaries of the Smoky Hill River; the Big Blue, Delaware, and Wakarusa, which flow into the Kansas River; and the Marais des Cygnes, a tributary of the Missouri River.

National parks and historic sites

Areas under the protection of the National Park Service include: ^[11]

• Brown v. Board Of Education National Historic Site in Topeka
• California National Historic Trail
• Fort Larned National Historic Site in Larned
• Fort Scott National Historic Site
• Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
• Nicodemus National Historic Site at Nicodemus
• Oregon National Historic Trail
• Pony Express National Historic Trail
• Santa Fe National Historic Trail
• Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve near Strong City

Climate

Kansas contains three climate types, according to the Köppen climate classification: humid continental, semiarid steppe, and humid subtropical. The eastern two-thirds of the state has a humid continental climate, with cold winters and hot summers. Most of the precipitation falls in the summer and spring. The western third of the state has a semiarid steppe climate. Summers are hot, often very hot. Winters are cold in the northwest and cool to mild in the southwest. Also, the western region is semiarid, receiving an average of only about 16 inches (40 cm) of precipitation per year. Chinook winds in the winter can warm western Kansas all the way into the 80°F (25°C) range. The far south-central and southeastern reaches of the state have a humid subtropical climate, hot summers, mild winters and more precipitation than the rest of the state.

Precipitation ranges from about 46 inches (1200 mm) annually in the southeast of the state, to about 16 inches (400 mm) in the southwest. Snowfall ranges from around 5 inches (130 mm) in the fringes of the south, to 35 inches (900 mm) in the far northwest. Frost-free days range from more than 200 days in the south, to 130 days in the northwest. Thus, Kansas is the 9th or 10th sunniest state in the country, depending on the source. Western Kansas is as sunny as parts of California and Arizona.

In spite of the frequent sunshine throughout much of the state, the state is also vulnerable to strong thunderstorms, especially in the spring. Many of these storms become Supercell thunderstorms. These can spawn tornadoes, often of F3 strength or higher. According to statistics from the National Climatic Data Center, Kansas has reported more tornadoes (for the period 1 January 1950 through to 31 October 2006) than any state except for Texas - marginally even more than Oklahoma. It has also - along with Alabama - reported more F5 tornadoes than any other state. These are the most powerful of all tornadoes. Kansas averages over 50 tornadoes annually. ^[12]

According to NOAA, the all time highest temperature recorded in Kansas is 121°F (49.4°C) on July 24, 1936, near Alton, and the all time low is -40°F (-40°C) on February 13, 1905, near Lebanon.

Kansas' all time record high of 121°F (49.4°C) ties with North Dakota for the fifth-highest all-time record high recorded in a state, behind California (134°F/56.7°C), Arizona (128°F/53.3°C), Nevada (125°F/51.7°C), and New Mexico (122°F/50°C).

Monthly Normal High and Low Temperatures For Various Kansas Cities

City

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Concordia

36/17

43/22

54/31

64/41

74/52

85/62

91/67

88/66

80/56

68/44

51/30

40/21

Dodge City

41/19

48/24

57/31

67/41

76/52

87/62

93/67

91/66

82/56

70/44

54/30

44/22

Goodland

39/16

45/20

53/26

63/35

72/46

84/56

89/61

87/60

78/50

66/38

50/25

41/18

Topeka

37/17

44/23

56/33

66/43

75/53

84/63

89/68

88/65

80/56

69/44

53/32

41/22

Wichita

40/20

47/25

57/34

67/44

76/54

87/64

93/69

92/68

82/59

70/47

54/34

43/24

History

For millennia, the land that is presently Kansas was inhabited by Native Americans. The first European to set foot in present-day Kansas was Francisco Vásquez de Coronado, who explored the area in 1541.

In 1803, most of modern Kansas was secured by the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase. From 1812 to 1821, this larger portion of Kansas was part of the Missouri Territory.

The jurisdictional history of southwest Kansas, specifically the area west of the 103rd meridian and south of the Arkansas River, is more complicated.

Prior to the Louisiana Purchase France and Spain had disputed jurisdiction over a wide area of North America, a small part of which included territory now in Southwest Kansas. With the Louisiana Purchase the United States assumed the position of France in that dispute. The Adams-Onis Treaty of 1819, negotiated between the American Secretary of State John Quincy Adams and the Spanish Foreign Minister Luis de Onis Gonzalez Vara, completely resolved at least that portion of the dispute which concerned these disputed lands, including what is now southwest Kansas. Under the Adams-Onis Treaty all of the territory in North America which earlier had been the subject of dispute between Spain and France was conceded to Spain by the United States. In turn, under the terms of the Adams-Onis Treaty Spain awarded Florida to the United States. The Florida which the United States received from Spain included not only the territory of the present State of Florida, but also a coastal strip now located in southern Alabama, southern Mississippi, and south-eastern Louisiana.

When Mexico achieved independence from Spain in 1821, the area of what is now southwestern Kansas that had been ceded to Spain under the Adams-Onis Treaty fell under Mexican rule. It became a small part of the contemporaneous Mexican State of Coahila y Tejas.

In 1836 a portion of Coahila y Tejas seceded from Mexico and became the Republic of Texas. Although Mexico was forced de facto to recognize the independence of the Republic of Texas in 1836, the western boundary of the Republic of Texas remained in dispute. A small portion of the area in dispute between Mexico and the Republic of Texas is now southwestern Kansas. Under the "Treaties of Velasco," signed by General Antonio de Santa Ana on behalf of Mexico, this disputed area was recognized as part of the Republic of Texas. However, Mexico did not ratify the "Treaties of Velasco" on the ground that at the time of signing Santa Ana was not the President. (Indeed, only the American government had ever referred to these documents, one public and one secret, as treaties, and then only 10 years later by President Polk when justifying war with Mexico.) The Republic of Texas was annexed to the United States and simultaneously admitted into the Union as the 28th State on December 29, 1845. The large area which the Treaties of Velasco recognized as being part of the Republic of Texas all remained within the State of Texas at this time.

The admission of Texas into the American Union as a State resulted in the rupture of diplomatic relations between Mexico and the United States. The territorial dispute ultimately led to the Mexican-American War. The conclusion of that war was formalized on February 2, 1848 with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. One provision of that treaty established the western boundary of Texas as being in accordance with the Treaties of Velasco. Thus, with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo Mexico was removed as a contender for the large territory under consideration, a small part of which is now Southeastern Kansas. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo also transferred a large area, which has become called the Mexican Cession of 1848 and includes present-day California, Nevada, and Utah, all of present-day Arizona except for a strip along the southern border, western New Mexico (except for a strip along the southern border), that portion of present-day Colorado that is west of the crest of the Rocky Mountains, and a part of present-day Wyoming, to the United States. The Mexican Cession is distinct and separate from the clarification of the boundaries of the former Republic of Texas. However, the fate of the area that became southwestern Kansas was not part of the Mexican Cession but was affected only by the resolution of the boundary between Mexico and the former Republic of Texas.)

The Compromise of 1850 was a series of five laws attempting to strike a political balance between pro- and anti-slavery interests. One of those laws, enacted September 9, 1850 drastically adjusted the borders of the State of Texas. Texas transferred a large amount of its area to the federal government in trade for $10,000,000 "stock," redeemable in 14 years and bearing 5% interest. The area stripped away from the State of Texas was divided into three portions. Part of this area was assigned to a newly organized Territory of New Mexico and another part was assigned to a newly organized Territory of Utah. However, the third part remained unorganized territory of the United States. (The formal territories had their own local governments, whereas the unorganized territories were ruled from Washington and/or by the military. The then-unorganized territory derived from Texas included southwestern Kansas, the Panhandle of present-day Oklahoma, portion of eastern Colorado, and a small part of southern Wyoming.

The Santa Fe Trail traversed Kansas from 1821 to 1880, transporting manufactured goods from [Missouri and silver and furs from Santa Fe, New Mexico. Wagon ruts from the trail are still visible in the prairie today.

In 1827, Fort Leavenworth became the first permanent settlement of white Americans in the future state. The Kansas-Nebraska Act became law on May 30, 1854, establishing the U.S. territories of Nebraska and Kansas, and opening the area to broader settlement by whites. Kansas Territory stretched all the way to the Continental Divide and included the sites of present-day Denver, Colorado Springs, and Pueblo. thumb on Lawrence, Kansas Missouri and Arkansas sent settlers into Kansas all along its eastern border. These settlers attempted to sway votes in favor of slavery. The secondary settlement of Americans in Kansas Territory were abolitionists from Massachusetts and other Free-Staters, who attempted to stop the spread of slavery from neighboring Missouri. Directly presaging the American Civil War, these forces collided, entering into skirmishes that earned the territory the name of Bleeding Kansas. Kansas was admitted to the United States as a free state on January 29, 1861, making it the 34th state to enter the Union. By that time the violence in Kansas had largely subsided. However, during the Civil War, on August 21, 1863, William Quantrill led several hundred men on a raid into Lawrence, destroying much of the city and killing nearly two hundred people. Until the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, Quantrill's raid was the single bloodiest act of domestic terrorism in America. He was roundly condemned by both the conventional confederate military and the partisan rangers commissioned by the Missouri legislature. His application to that body for a commission was flatly rejected due to his pre war criminal record (see Jones, Gray Ghosts and Rebel Riders Holt & Co. 1956, p. 76).

After the Civil War, many veterans constructed homesteads in Kansas. Many African Americans also looked to Kansas as the land of "John Brown," and led by men like Benjamin "Pap" Singleton began establishing black colonies in the state. At the same time, the Chisholm Trail was opened and the Wild West era commenced in Kansas. Wild Bill Hickok was a deputy marshal at Fort Riley and a marshal at Hays and Abilene. Dodge City was another wild cowboy town, and both Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp worked as lawmen in the town. In one year alone, 8 million head of cattle from Texas boarded trains in Dodge City bound for the East, earning Dodge the nickname "Queen of the Cowtowns."

In part as a response to the violence perpetrated by cowboys, on February 19, 1881 Kansas became the first U.S. state to adopt a Constitutional amendment prohibiting all alcoholic beverages.

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1860
1870			{{Val
1880			{{Val
1890			{{Val
1900			{{Val
1910			{{Val
1920			{{Val
1930			{{Val
1940			{{Val
1950			{{Val
1960			{{Val
1970			{{Val
1980			{{Val
1990			portal