TERRITORIAL/STATEHOOD DAYS

In the 1850’s Kansas was the western frontier of the United States. At this time, Northern and Southern states were engaged in a bitter argument over the question of human slavery. In 1854 Congress passed the Kansas-Nebraska Act. This act triggered a period in Kansas history known as "Bleeding Kansas". Northerners and Southerners fought for control of Kansas with both ballots and bullets.

Eli Thayer of Massachusetts started the New England Emigrant Aid Society and sent people to Kansas to found towns. Lawrence was one such town and was considered the center of abolitionist activities for the territory. Because of our rich territorial/statehood heritage, I do an extensive study of Kansas from the 1850’s-1870’s.

The culminating activity for this unit is the creation by students of a piece of historic fiction. To do this, students become a person who lived in or around Lawrence during the 1850’s. They create an identify for themselves and incorporate a minimum of six true historical events into a diary of their life or letters to someone. Listed below are valuable handouts and links to help with this project.

Territorial/Statehood Assignment Handout

Character’s Biographical Information Handout

Project Evaluation Sheet

Useful Links:

• Our NEH grant collection of primary documents This site contains most of the Lawrencians from out classroom portrait gallery

• Lawrence businesses in the 1860's
  
  
• The Underground Railroad in Lawrence--Click on Special Interest Collection
  
  
• This site has it all!! Be sure to check it out.
  
  
• Large variety of great stuff
  
  
• Lawrence women and merchants on Massachusetts Street in Lawrence
  
  

• Civil War slang

• Fannie & Vera's contains clothing, hairstyles, toys, and games
  
  
• A History of Lawrence, Kansas by Rev. Richard Cordley. Find information on early emigrants, Jones' Sack of Lawrence, and Quantrill's Raid.
  
  
• Click here for a hugh variety of Civil War topics.
  
  
• Period clothing and etiquette plus jewelry, hats, and tinware
  
  
• Civil War music plus numerous links to great information
  
  
• More Civil War music
  

• Women soldiers in the Civil War
  
  
• Civil War pictures
  
  
• Click here for dances and dance etiquette
  

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This page last updated on 2-2-03 by Carolyn Derusseau.