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"Border Ruffians Invading Kansas," an illustration by Felix O.C. Darley, depicts pro-slavery raiders crossing into Kansas from Missouri amidst Bleeding Kansas violence. The illustration is undated. Photo courtesy of Yale University Art Gallery.
In 1820, the Missouri Compromise outlawed slavery north of the 36º 30’ parallel (Missouri’s southern border). However, in 1854, the Kansas-Nebraska Act repealed the Missouri Compromise by instituting popular sovereignty, under which settlers of Kansas Territory could vote on whether or not it would be admitted to the Union as a free or slave state. Violence broke out that year, with conflicts between pro and anti-slavery factions who sought to turn Kansas in their favor. 56 people were killed in Kansas as part of “Bleeding Kansas” violence.
Manhattan was spared from the worst of Bleeding Kansas for two main reasons: firstly, its location, far from Missouri and close to Fort Riley. It had been founded by staunchly Free-State settlers. However, it was not spared from conflict entirely. Proslavery newspaper Leavenworth Herald reported on an incident in Manhattan: in 1855, William Osborn, a proslavery man, took over the cabin of a man who left town after transferring his property to the Boston Town Association (which is what Manhattan was called at the time). He was run out of town, through force. His friend, Isaac Hascall, was also forcibly removed for “claim-jumping,” though his claim was later recognized as legitimate.
This turbulence continued until Kansas became a state. The anti-slavery faction eventually won, and Kansas entered the Union as a Free-State in January 1861. The Civil War officially broke out only 3 months later.
To learn more about Bleeding Kansas and how the Civil War affected Kansas, you can go to: Civil War on the Western Border
Henry and Elenora Strong's home in present day. Photo courtesy of Rachelle Routh.
The Strong Farm, where Henry and Elenora Strong shielded escapees, is no longer standing. However, their home, built in 1867 after a devastating fire, still does. It is currently operated as an inn.
You can see more of the house on its website: https://www.stronginn.com/
The Underground Railroad was a secret network established by American abolitionists or free staters to aid those who were enslaved in their journey north to freedom. This organized travel system consisted of safe houses and other areas where freedom seekers would be fed, offered shelter, and provided transportation to their next stop. In this program, learn about the history of the Underground Railroad and the stops along the trail that still exist within our Manhattan community today.
Originally from Augusta, Kansas, Allana Parker received a B.S. in History along with a minor in Leadership Studies from Kansas State University and M.A. in Museum Studies from the University of Kansas. She served as Curator of Design with the Riley County Historical Museum for ten years and currently serves as treasurer for the Kansas Museums Association and member of the Kansas State Historical Society Foundation board.
Epps, Kristen. Slavery on the Periphery: The Kansas-Missouri Border in the Antebellum and Civil War Eras. Athens, GA: The University of Georgia Press, 2016.
Etcheson, Nicole. Bleeding Kansas: Contested Liberty in the Civil War Era. Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas, 2004.
Miner, Craig. Kansas: The History of the Sunflower State, 1854-2000. Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas, 2002.
Pitts, Richard. A Self-Guided Tour of the Underground Railroad in Kansas. Self-published, 2003.
Thomas, Lou Ann. "Freedom's Route." Manhattan Magazine, Winter 2013/2014. https://issuu.com/sunflower_publishing/docs/mm13w_web_ads.
"Dawn of Day: Stories from the Underground Railroad." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5c6cDCTJNY .
This map shows two routes of the Underground Railroad in Kansas. To learn more about this map, created based on research by Chapman Center undergraduate intern Jessica Hermesch, you can click the link to our Lost Kansas Communities subsite!
By the 1800s, social reformers began to petition for the freedom and citizenship of African Americans in this country. When met with legal resistance, enslaved people and white supporters created a secret network known as the Underground Railroad to help relocate enslaved people from states where slavery was legal into states where slavery was not legal or Canada.
The Underground Railroad was not underground but consisted of an organized travel system of safe houses and hiding spots. Escapees would be fed, offered shelter, and transported to their next stop. Code words such as stationmaster, conductor, depot, and cargo were used to maintain secrecy. Many hopeful escapees did not survive the Underground Railroad trip as harsh weather conditions, lack of supplies, starvation, or recapture were distinct possibilities.
The Kansas-Nebraska Act became law in 1854 which allowed Kansas Territory residents to vote on whether Kansas would enter the Union as a free or a slave state. This created a violent uprising known as Bleeding Kansas, and activists flooded into the territory to help sway the vote. By 1857 the activity escalated, and the routes between safe houses fluctuated as participants and specific roads were closely watched. This resulted in the trail moving further west to include the counties of Wabaunsee, Pottawatomie, and Riley.
After first settling in the Manhattan area in 1858, Henry Strong and his wife, Elenora became station masters, hiding escapees on their property. Although nothing was mentioned in Henry’s ledgers, his granddaughter, Mabel Evangeline Baxter Hoerner, was told about her grandparents hiding these individuals in the Strong cabin and in a small hidden cave on the property.
Henry’s diaries describe the networking of courageous men and woman like Rev. and Mrs. Blood and John Smith who had the same convictions as Henry and Elenora Strong. They believed that no man shall be held under bondage. Many of Manhattan’s early settlers were associated with the New England Emigrant Aid Company whose ultimate purpose was to ensure that Kansas entered the Union as a Free State.
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