Medium: Text

Leavenworth Constitutional Convention journal

Date: April 1, 1858

On Thursday afternoon, April 1, the delegates began considering the proposed constitution in its entirety. When they reached Article II, the elective franchise, Hampton P. Johnson of Leavenworth, “moved to…

Medium: Text

Leavenworth Constitutional Convention journal

Date: April 1, 1858

The Leavenworth constitution was the third of four constitutions proposed for Kansas statehood and the second free-state constitution (after the Topeka and before the Wyandotte constitutions). Delegates for the territory’s…

Medium: Text

Leavenworth Constitutional Convention journal

Date: March 31, 1858

During the course of the convention’s business on Wednesday, March 31, 1858, the delegates took up the article on “elective Franchise reported back from Committee on Phraseology.” Samuel N. Wood’s…

Medium: Text

Topeka Constitutional Convention journal

Date: November 9, 1855

During the course of the proceedings recorded for the afternoon of November 9, 1855, discussion turned to the effort by Jim Lane to first include a provision for the “removal”…

Medium: Text

Topeka Constitutional Convention journal

Date: October 31, 1855

During the afternoon session of Wednesday, October 31, 1855, Jim Lane presented a “Resolution which was ordered to be entered upon the Journal of the convention–said Resolution being the instructions…

Medium: Text

Topeka Constitutional Convention

Date: October 30, 1855

During this session of the constitutional convention, delegates dealt briefly with the question of “an immediate organization of a State Government,” a highly controversial issue, and considered a report on…

Medium: Text

Topeka Constitutional Convention

Date: October 26, 1855

During the afternoon session on Friday, October 26, 1855, the convention returned to the issue raised by Delahay that morning, among other more mundane matters.

Medium: Text

Topeka Constitutional Convention

Date: October 26, 1855

On Friday, October 26, 1855, the convention conducted some routine business but also entertained a motion by Mark W. Delahay of Leavenworth: “Resolved–That this Convention, approve the principles of non…

Medium: Text

Topeka Constitutional Convention

Date: October 24, 1855

According to a copy of the 1902 cover letter written by Samuel C. Smith of Lawrence, secretary/chief clerk for the convention, this incomplete “copy of the Journal of the Topeka…

Medium: Text

William Hutchinson to A. H. Shurtleff

Date: ca. 1856

William Hutchinson, secretary of the Kansas Central Committee, wrote from Lawrence to A. Havington Shurtleff, agent for the New York State Kansas Committee. Hutchinson was responding to Shutleff’s request for…

Medium: Text

F.A. Hunt to William Barnes

Date: April 18, 1857

F. A. Hunt, owner of a steamboat and land agent company, wrote from Wyandotte to William Barnes, secretary of the New York State Kansas Committee. Hunt promoted Wyandotte as a…

Medium: Text

Journal of the Free State Executive Committee

Date: 1855-1856

This journal, compiled by Joel K. Goodin, secretary of the Executive Committee of the Topeka free-state movement, began with a statement explaining the reason the Topeka Movement formed and the…

Medium: Text

Alfred Gray to George W. Patterson

Date: June 18, 1860

Gray wrote this draft of a letter to George W. Patterson concerning a treaty between the U. S. government and the Delaware Indians at the request of Rev. Pratt, a…

Medium: Text

Charles M. Stebbins to Alfred Gray

Date: September 18, 1858

Stebbins was building a telegraph line from St. Louis, Missouri, to Leavenworth, Kansas Territory, and wrote Gray about what would be required to get him to run the line through…

Medium: Text

A. Tuttle to Abelard Guthrie

Date: July 1, 1857

This letter related to an earlier one Tuttle wrote to Alfred Gray. He had made arrangements to purchase land from Guthrie and suggested he get the money from Gray or…

Medium: Text

A.Tuttle to Alfred Gray

Date: June 25, 1857

Tuttle wrote from Buffalo, New York, about his plans to come to Kansas Territory by the fall. Alfred Gray had been a practicing lawyer in Buffalo before settling in Quindaro,…

Medium: Text

John F. King to Thomas Ewing, Jr.

Date: July 1, 1858

Ewing’s correspondent, John F. King of Lawrence, had just given testimony in the Lane-Jenkins hearing that supported Lane’s testimony that he shot Gaius Jenkins in self-defense on June 3, 1858,…