Page:Kansas A Cyclopedia of State History vol 1.djvu/13



Perhaps no other commonwealth admitted into the Union during the last half of the last century has a greater historical interest than Kansas. Born in the storm and stress period of national political controversy, cradled in the tumult of civil war, and reared to full statehood in an era unparalleled in the arts of peace, the life of Kansas has been one of intense activity. Carved out of territory once known as part of the Great American Desert, by the industry of her people it has become one of the most productive and wealthy states of the Union in proportion to its population. From the political unrest of the early life has sprung a people alive to progressive forms of government. Alert in educational affairs, from the beginning her schools have been monuments of the greatness of her people; interested in the justice and equity of human relationship, her laws for securing human rights in political, industrial and social order are among the most enlightened in the land.

To write a history of such a state, to unravel all of its political entanglements, to carry forward the political and industrial development through border war, civil war, Indian depredations, drought and failure, to final achievement of a great commonwealth is a serious task. To such a task those who have been engaged in the preparation of this work have devoted their best energy and most faithful service.

It would be almost impossible to make such a history of achievement covering such a wide range of subjects in consecutive narration and at the same time make it usable for those for whom it was intended. For this reason the alphabetical order of topics has been chosen. By this method information on any subject from the administration of a governor or the development of a constitution to an historical incident or the founding of a small town may be obtained with facility. And in the presentation of the material in this form it has been necessary to omit all political controversies, to avoid all comparison of judgment and relate the simple facts of how it all came about.

However, all those who wish to have a consecutive history of political events need only to follow the history of the separate administrations of the governors from Reeder to Stubbs and they will find a continued history of the political development of Kansas. And if this be supplemented by the perusal of separate articles such as those of the Louisiana Purchase, the Missouri Compromise, the Kansas-Nebraska Bill, Squatter Sovereignty, the development of constitutional conventions, finance, taxation and the important reform measures under their respective titles