Shared Stories of the Civil War Topics
Before the Civil War
Compromise to Conflict: The Missouri Compromise And the Kansas-Nebraska Act
As the United States expanded into the West, the question of slavery remained unresolved.
Guerrilla Warfare: Bushwackers and Jayhawkers
For years, guerrilla warriors roamed the Kansas-Missouri border and fought on either side of the slavery issue.
John Brown: Martyr or Madman
On the night of May 24, 1856, armed men led by abolitionist Brown killed five unarmed pro-slavery supporters along Pottawatomie Creek.
John Doy's Escape
Captured by pro-slavery forces in 1859 and liberated by free state forces six months later, Doy's story illustrates the tensions along the border.
Settling the Kansas Territory
Opened for settlement in 1854, the area attracted many settlers, some with political motivations, others motivated by opportunity.
The Underground Railroad
Nowhere in the U.S. was the Underground Railroad more dangerous than in western Missouri and eastern Kansas in the late 1850s. Please note: this script is longer. Please allow for more time.
Wyandotte Constitutional Convention
In 1859, delegates from the Kansas Territory gathered for a fourth and final time to approve the state's constitution, prohibiting slavery and limiting rights for women.
During the Civil War
Pledging Allegiance: Questions of Loyalty in Civil War Kansas and Missouri
North or South? Union or Confederacy? The choices grew more complicated in the early months of the Civil War, especially for Missourians living along the border. Please note: This script is longer. Please allow for more time.
Price's March of 1864
In 1864, Confederate General Sterling Price led 10,000 troops across Missouri. While his actions thrilled some, they terrorized others. Please note: This script is longer. Please allow for more time.
Quantrill's Raid and Order No. 11
Two of the most notorious events of the Civil War along the border were Quantrill's Raid on Lawrence in 1863 and the issuance of Order Number 11 four days later.
Rhetoric of the Civil War Press
Newspapers, and their opinions, played a crucial role in shaping public perception of events along the Kansas-Missouri border.
Skirmish at Island Mound
The First Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry was the first African-American Northern regiment to see battle and the first to die at the Battle of Island Mound, Missouri. Please note: This script is longer. Please allow for more time.