Today is Kansas Day. The state was the 34th state admitted to the Union 152 years ago. Bloody Kansas, which had been plunged in a civil war over the question of slavery in the territory, helped ignite the US Civil War. The state was admitted in reaction to the secession of many southern states. Four Kansas publishers, including William Allen White of Emporia, came up with the idea of Kansas Day to mark the state’s birthday and to buttress the Kansas Republican party, which was facing a political revolt from the Populist party.
Updated 1/29/13 @ 12:45 pm
