Changes

==History==

==History==

Kansas was admitted as a [[free state]] in the midst of [[Bleeding Kansas|guerilla warfare]] between pro-slavery and abolitionist forces that erupted in the wake of the passage of the [[Kansas-Nebraska Act]] of 1854. <ref>http://www.legendsofamerica.com/OZ-BleedingKansas.html</ref> This act had provided for an election to determine whether Kansas would be a free state or a slave state, and many people flooded into the state to vote. The vote process was not easy, and was rife with accusations of voter fraud. <ref>http://www.historyplace.com/lincoln/kansas.htm</ref> Noted abolitionist [[John Brown]] led anti-slavery forces during some of this time period. This violence continued after Kansas was admitted to the union on January 29, 1861, and the worst example was the virtual destruction of the city of [[Lawrence]] by pro-slavery guerilla [[William Quantrill]] on August 21, 1863, which killed most of the male population of the town. <ref>http://www.legendsofamerica.com/OZ-Lawrence2.html</ref>

Kansas was admitted as a [[free state]] in the midst of [[Bleeding Kansas|guerilla warfare]] between pro-slavery and abolitionist forces that erupted in the wake of the passage of the [[Kansas-Nebraska Act]] of 1854.<ref>http://www.legendsofamerica.com/OZ-BleedingKansas.html</ref> This act had provided for an election to determine whether Kansas would be a free state or a slave state, and many people flooded into the state to vote. The vote process was not easy, and was rife with accusations of voter fraud.<ref>http://www.historyplace.com/lincoln/kansas.htm</ref> Noted abolitionist [[John Brown]] led anti-slavery forces during some of this time period. This violence continued after Kansas was admitted to the union on January 29, 1861, and the worst example was the virtual destruction of the city of [[Lawrence]] by pro-slavery guerilla [[William Quantrill]] on August 21, 1863, which killed most of the male population of the town.<ref>http://www.legendsofamerica.com/OZ-Lawrence2.html</ref>

==Politics==

==Politics==

==Miscellaneous==

==Miscellaneous==

Kansas exports more wheat than any other state. Kansas's economy is heavily dependent upon agriculture. <ref>http://www.fas.usda.gov/info/factsheets/CAFTA/ks.html</ref>  

Kansas exports more wheat than any other state. Kansas's economy is heavily dependent upon agriculture.<ref>http://www.fas.usda.gov/info/factsheets/CAFTA/ks.html</ref>  

Kansas's motto is ''ad astra per aspera'', which is Latin for "to the stars through difficulties." Its state flower is the sunflower, its state tree is the cottonwood, and its state bird is the Western meadowlark.

Kansas's motto is ''ad astra per aspera'', which is Latin for "to the stars through difficulties." Its state flower is the sunflower, its state tree is the cottonwood, and its state bird is the Western meadowlark.

[[Helium]] was first found in natural gas at the University of Kansas in Lawrence in 1905. <ref>http://www.news.ku.edu/2000/00N/AprNews/Apr7/bailey.html</ref>

[[Helium]] was first found in natural gas at the University of Kansas in Lawrence in 1905.<ref>http://www.news.ku.edu/2000/00N/AprNews/Apr7/bailey.html</ref>

The term "What would Jesus do?" was first used by Charles Sheldon, a Topeka minister, in 1896. <ref>http://www.mastersimage.com/articles/ihs.htm</ref>

The term "What would Jesus do?" was first used by Charles Sheldon, a Topeka minister, in 1896.<ref>http://www.mastersimage.com/articles/ihs.htm</ref>

Cawker City is home to the world's largest ball of twine, which has a 40 foot circumference<ref>http://skyways.lib.ks.us/towns/Cawker/twine.html</ref>, and Greensburg is home to the world's deepest hand dug well, which is 109 feet deep. <ref>http://www.bigwell.org/bigwell.html</ref>. This well survived a large [[tornado]] that destroyed most of the town on May 4, 2007. <ref>http://www.kansas.com/233/story/65407.html</ref>

Cawker City is home to the world's largest ball of twine, which has a 40 foot circumference,<ref>http://skyways.lib.ks.us/towns/Cawker/twine.html</ref> and Greensburg is home to the world's deepest hand dug well, which is 109 feet deep.<ref>http://www.bigwell.org/bigwell.html</ref> This well survived a large [[tornado]] that destroyed most of the town on May 4, 2007.<ref>http://www.kansas.com/233/story/65407.html</ref>

Although Dorothy Gale, in the 1900 book and 1939 film ''The Wizard of Oz'', is from Kansas, L. Frank Baum, the author of the Oz books, had never been to Kansas, and based his description of a state where 'everything was grey' on his experiences as a newspaper man in [[North Dakota]].

Although Dorothy Gale, in the 1900 book and 1939 film ''The Wizard of Oz'', is from Kansas, L. Frank Baum, the author of the Oz books, had never been to Kansas, and based his description of a state where 'everything was grey' on his experiences as a newspaper man in [[North Dakota]].

The operational headquarters of telecommunications giant Sprint Nextel is located in Overland Park.

The operational headquarters of telecommunications giant Sprint Nextel is located in Overland Park.

The default position for the mapping program [[Google Earth]] is Lawrence. <ref>http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2005/dec/21/lawrence_pinpointed_center_google_earth/</ref>

The default position for the mapping program [[Google Earth]] is Lawrence.<ref>http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2005/dec/21/lawrence_pinpointed_center_google_earth/</ref>

The largest tallgrass prairie reserve remaining in the [[United States]] is the [[Flint Hills]] in eastern Kansas.

The largest tallgrass prairie reserve remaining in the [[United States]] is the [[Flint Hills]] in eastern Kansas.

{{USstates}}

{{USstates}}

[[Category : States of the United States]]

[[Category:States of the United States]]

[[Category : Kansas]]

[[Category:Kansas]]

[[Category : Great Plains]]  

[[Category:Great Plains]]  

[[Category : Plains of the United States]]

[[Category:Plains of the United States]]

[[Category : Wild West]]

[[Category:Wild West]]

[[Category : Red States]]

[[Category:Red States]]