The story of Kansas as it became a state of the United States of America is much like a page out of today's conflicts, voting controversies and hardships.

Kansas had its start as property of France. In 1903, a treaty was made with President Thomas Jefferson to purchase the Louisiana Territory from France. This included Kansas lands. Kansas had been named after the Kansas River, that in turn had been named after the Native America Tribe of Kansas, meaning, "people of the wind." Jefferson decided he wanted to learn more about this new purchased territory so he arranged to have Lewis and Clark ex...