Portal:Kansas

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Kansas (/ˈkænzəs/ (listen)) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named after the Kansas River, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native Americans who lived along its banks. The tribe's name (natively kką:ze) is often said to mean "people of the (south) wind" although this was probably not the term's original meaning. For thousands of years, what is now Kansas was home to numerous and diverse Native American tribes. Tribes in the eastern part of the state generally lived in villages along the river valleys. Tribes in the western part of the state were semi-nomadic and hunted large herds of bison.

The first Euro-American settlement in Kansas occurred in 1827 at Fort Leavenworth. The pace of settlement accelerated in the 1850s, in the midst of political wars over the slavery debate. When it was officially opened to settlement by the U.S. government in 1854 with the Kansas–Nebraska Act, abolitionist Free-Staters from New England and pro-slavery settlers from neighboring Missouri rushed to the territory to determine whether 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 prevailed, and on January 29, 1861, Kansas entered the Union as a free state, hence the unofficial nickname "The Free State".

By 2015, Kansas was one of the most productive agricultural states, producing high yields of wheat, corn, sorghum, and soybeans. Kansas, which has an area of 82,278 square miles (213,100 square kilometers) is the 15th-largest state by area and is the 36th most-populous of the 50 states, with a population of 2,940,865 according to the 2020 census. Residents of Kansas are called Kansans. Mount Sunflower is Kansas's highest point at 4,039 feet (1,231 meters). (Full article...)

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The 2006 Banquet 400 was the twenty-ninth stock car race of the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series and the third in the ten-race season-ending Chase for the Nextel Cup. It was held on October 1, 2006 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas before a crowd of 125,000. The 267-lap race was won by Tony Stewart of the Joe Gibbs Racing team who started from twenty-first position. Casey Mears finished second and Mark Martin came in third.

Pole position driver Kasey Kahne led the field until Jimmie Johnson moved into the first position after a caution period. Johnson lost the lead when he was passed by Kahne's teammate Scott Riggs on lap 28. He held the position for the next seven laps until Clint Bowyer took over the lead. Dale Earnhardt Jr. moved into first on the 64th lap and held it for sixteen laps when he was passed by Kyle Busch. Busch held the lead position for 64 laps. Bowyer reclaimed the first position and led for a further 17 laps, before Johnson moved ahead of him. After drivers made pit stops for fuel, Stewart took over the lead after electing to stay out, and held the position to win the race despite running out of fuel on the race's final lap. The race had a total of eleven cautions and twenty lead changes by thirteen different drivers. (Full article...)

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Credit: Edwin Olson
A view of the Flint Hills in eastern Kansas.

Important dates in Kansas' history

July–August 1541: Coronado explores Kansas
April 30, 1803: Louisiana Purchase Treaty signed
May 30, 1854: Kansas Territory organized
July 29, 1859: Constitution adopted by convention
January 29, 1861: Kansas becomes 34th state
August 21, 1863: Quantrill's Raid on Lawrence
Spring 1879: Exodusters
February 19, 1881: First state to Constitutionally prohibit alcohol
1890s: Populist Revolt
July 1951: Great Flood of 1951
May 17, 1954: Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka

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State facts

Nickname: The Sunflower State
Capital: Topeka
Largest city: Wichita
Governor: Laura Kelly (D)
Total area: 213,096 square kilometers (82,277 square miles)
Population (2000 census): 2,688,418
Date admitted to the Union: January 29, 1861
Senators: Jerry Moran (R), Roger Marshall (R)
Representatives: Tracey Mann (R), Jake LaTurner (R), Ron Estes (R), Sharice Davids (D)

State symbols:

The American Bison, Kansas' state mammal.

Amphibian: Barred tiger salamander
Fish: Channel catfish
Bird: Western meadowlark
Flower: Sunflower
Insect: European honey bee
Mammal: Bison
Motto: Ad astra per aspera, or "To the stars through difficulties"
Reptile: Ornate Box turtle
Song: "Home on the Range"
Tree: Populus angustifolia

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The 1867 Manhattan earthquake struck Riley County, Kansas, in the United States on April 24, 1867, at 20:22 UTC, or about 14:30 local time. The strongest earthquake to originate in the state, it measured 5.1 on a seismic scale that is based on an isoseismal map or the event's felt area. The earthquake's epicenter was near the town of Manhattan.

The earthquake had a maximum perceived intensity of VII (Very strong) on the Mercalli intensity scale. It caused minor damage, reports of which were confined to Kansas, Iowa, and Missouri, according to the United States Geological Survey. Felt over an area of 200,000 square miles (520,000 km²), the earthquake reached the states of Indiana, Illinois, and possibly Ohio, though the latter reports have been questioned. (Full article...)

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General images

The following are images from various Kansas-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Reverend Charles Sheldon, Topeka resident and coiner of the phrase "What would Jesus do?" (from Kansas)
Image 2Quantrill's Raid on Lawrence (from Kansas)
Image 3David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium is the oldest football stadium west of the Mississippi River, and one of the oldest standing football stadiums in the country. Built in 1921, it is home to the Kansas Jayhawks football team (from Kansas)
Image 4Allen Fieldhouse at University of Kansas in Lawrence (from Kansas)
Image 5Spring River, Kansas (from Kansas)
Image 6Gove County Badlands (from Kansas)
Image 7Samuel Seymour's 1819 illustration of a Kansa lodge and dance is the oldest drawing known to be done in Kansas. (from History of Kansas)
Image 8Ethnic origins in Kansas (from Kansas)
Image 9Map of Indian territories, 1836 (from History of Kansas)
Image 10Tyler Field in Eck Stadium at Wichita State University in Wichita (from Kansas)
Image 11The Great Plains of Kansas (from Kansas)
Image 12Kansas Highway Map (from Kansas)
Image 13Temporary quarters for Volga Germans in central Kansas, 1875 (from History of Kansas)
Image 14The Great Seal of the State of Kansas was established by the legislature on May 25, 1861. The design was submitted by Senator John James Ingalls. He also proposed the state motto, "Ad astra per aspera", which means "to the stars through difficulty". (from History of Kansas)
Image 15The Plaza Cinema in Ottawa is the oldest operating movie theater in the world. (from Kansas)
Image 16Boosterism: cover of a promotional booklet published in 1907 by the Rock Island railroad (from History of Kansas)
Image 17Köppen climate types of Kansas, using 1991–2020 climate normals. (from Kansas)
Image 18Clouds in northeastern Kansas (from Kansas)
Image 19Boeing B-29 Superfortress production in Wichita in 1944 (from History of Kansas)
Image 20Frank Bond's illustration of the Louisiana Purchase (from History of Kansas)
Image 21The Rio Theatre, Overland Park (from Kansas)
Image 22Kansas's Monument Rocks at night
Image 23Kansas summer wheat and storm panorama (from Kansas)
Image 24Fox Theater, Hutchinson (from Kansas)
Image 25Kanopolis State Park (from Kansas)
Image 26George Armstrong Custer led U.S. troops against Native Americans in western Kansas. (from History of Kansas)
Image 27Charles Curtis (R) was born near Topeka and served as a State Legislator, Congressman and Senator, before becoming Vice President (1929–33). He is the only Native American elected to the Executive Branch (he was born into the Kaw Nation). (from Kansas)
Image 28Chippewa named "One-Called-From-A-Distance" (from History of Kansas)
Image 29Quantrill's 1863 raid burned the town of Lawrence and killed 164 townspeople. (from History of Kansas)
Image 301855 Free-State poster (from History of Kansas)
Image 31Children's Mercy Park, Kansas City (from Kansas)
Image 32A population density map of Kansas (from Kansas)

Map of counties in Kansas by racial plurality, per the 2020 U.S. census

Legend

Non-Hispanic White

30–40%

50–60%

60–70%

70–80%

80–90%

90%+

Hispanic or Latino

50–60%

60–70%

(from Kansas)

Image 34The Kansas Pacific main line shown on an 1869 map (from History of Kansas)
Image 35John Brown about 1856 (from History of Kansas)
Image 361915–1918 Kansas Railroad Map (from Kansas)

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Kade Warner (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs | tools) by BeanieFan11 (talk · contribs · new pages (27)) started on 2023-05-26, score: 36

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