Kansas became a territory of the United States in 1854 when the Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed. The issue of slavery was conditional to the popular vote and most of the people were in favor of abolition. Since Kansas bordered Missouri, many people from Missouri, who were pro-slavery, cast fake votes to keep Kansas from becoming a free state. This caused a lot of violence during that time. In the 1857 election, those in favor of a free state won control of the legislature and passed the Wyandotte Constitution in 1859. It was approved in 1861 so Kansas became a new state in the Union.
Kansas is called the Sunflower State because sunflowers are grown in every county in the state. Dodge City is considered the windiest city in the US. It is also the second state with the most tornadoes. Most of the land in Kansas is farmland. At one time, it was illegal to serve cherry pie with ice cream there.
Class Activities:
- Find Kansas on a US map. What other states border Kansas? Draw a map of Kansas with the largest 5 cities.
- What crops are grown in Kansas? Make a brochure promoting farming.
- What other funny laws were followed in Kansas? Make a list of them.
- Find out more about sunflowers. When is the best time to plant them? How long does it take to get a sunflower? What can sunflowers be used for? Make a poster or a brochure promoting sunflowers.
No comments:
Post a Comment