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Modern day Kansas was once home to Paleo-Indians as early as 12,000 B.C. Over thousands of years,
many tribes passed through or settled in what is now Kansas, eventually including more modern tribes
such as the Osage and Kansa peoples.
The Spanish explorer Francisco de Coronado explored the region in 1541, beginning a new era of
European exploration and settlement, which the French would join. In 1803, the U.S. incorporated
Kansas via the Louisiana Purchase. Between 1803 and 1819, famous explorers traversed the region,
including Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, Zebulon Pike, and Stephen H. Long. Eventually the first
permanent white settlements took hold, including Fort Leavenworth, Fort Scott, and Fort Riley, which
served as outposts along the Santa Fe and Oregon Trails.
Prior to the American Civil War, many bloody battles occurred between free-staters (anti-slavery)
and pro-slavery forces, leading to an attack on Lawrence that gave the region the name "Bleeding
Kansas". In 1861, Kansas entered the Union as a free state. Following this turbulent era, the rail
system expanded to Kansas, opening the frontier to immigrants. This resulted in Native Americans
being forced onto smaller reservations over time, until they were removed to Indian Territory and lost
their free way of life in the late 1870’s.
Much of popular Wild West legend occurred in Kansas. Towns like Dodge City, Abilene, and Wichita
grew important to the cattle industry. The famous Western personalities such as "Wild Bill" Hickok,
Wyatt Earp, and "Buffalo Bill" Cody were all active in the 1870’s.
Following the introduction of winter wheat, Kansas transformed itself into a leading wheat-producing
state. Agriculture remains important to this day in the Sunflower State.
By the 20th century, other resources in Kansas gained prominence, such as mining, oil production,
natural gas production, and helium. The aircraft industry became a major facet of the Kansas
economy. Additionally, the central location of the Sunflower State among the 48 contiguous states
gave it a strategic location for both international and domestic business.
Many famous people have called the Sunflower State their home. Among these famous Kansans are
aviator Amelia Earhart, actor Dennis Hopper, politician Bob Dole, comedian Buster Keaton, Dwight D.
Eisenhower, James "Wild Bill" Hickok, children’s author Laura Ingalls Wilder, poet Gwendolyn Brooks,
actor Harold Lloyd, and actor Charles Buddy Rogers, to name a few.
Kansas boasts a proud heritage of success despite its struggles, and promises an exciting future in
the biotechnology and life science industry. The Sunflower State has more than lived up to its motto,
Ad Astra per Aspera, or "To the stars with difficulty".
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