Bleeding Kansas
When the U.S. Congress passed the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, the United States was in a bitter argument over the legitimacy of slavery. The new act allowed territories to decide for themselves, through popular vote, whether they would be a free state or a slave state when they entered the Union.
Pressure from both sides escalated quickly into what is known as Bleeding Kansas, a war around the Kansas and Missouri border between anti-slavery and pro-slavery forces. During this time some of Topeka’s most notable history was written and some of its most notable figures came to fame.
Explore Topeka’s history during Bleeding Kansas and how that turbulent time shaped our city, state and nation to what it is today.
The Historic Ritchie House
1116 S.E. Madison St.
(785) 234-6097
Learn more online
The Historic Ritchie House, 1116 S.E. Madison St., was built in 1856 by abolitionists John and Mary Jane Ritchie. It served as a stop along the Underground Railroad and is considered Topeka’s oldest home. Located next door to the Shawnee County Historical Society, public tours of the house are conducted Tuesday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, visit ShawneeCountyHistory.org or contact the county historical society.
Constitution Hall and The Topeka Constitution
429 S. Kansas Ave.
www.kansasconstituionhall.org
Discover Constitution Hall
In the mid-1800s, Kansas was at the heart of the nation’s fierce debate over slavery. Following the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, which allowed the territories to decide for themselves
whether they would permit slavery, settlers rushed into Kansas to shape its future. This period, known as Bleeding Kansas, was marked by violent confrontations between pro-slavery forces and abolitionists who believed in a free state. Topeka, founded in 1854 as an abolitionist stronghold, became an epicenter of resistance to slavery. In 1855, Topeka’s free-state supporters gathered to form a constitution rejecting slavery, known as the Topeka Constitution. This decision set the stage for the city to become a beacon of freedom, drawing abolitionists and anti-slavery advocates from. across the nation. Discover the site where the Topeka Constitution was drafted by visiting Constitution Hall in downtown Topeka! Also known as the “Free State Capitol,” this nationally significant historic site, at 429 S. Kansas Ave., has been restored with assistance from the Save America’s Treasures Program. Activity at the Free State Capitol challenged the nation to stop the westward spread of slavery, and the building also served as headquarters for Underground Railroad operations on the Lane Trail to freedom in the north. Following renovations, Constitution Hall will reopen as a museum-quality space in early 2025. Visit FreeStateCapitol.org for updates and hours.
Tragic Prelude
915 S.W. Jackson St.
(785) 296-3966
www.kshs.org/capitol
John Brown, an abolitionist from Ohio, came to the Kansas territory with five of his sons to fight against slavery. Brown believed the only way to absolve the land of the sins of slavery was to wash it away with blood. After a pro-slavery raid in Lawrence, where buildings and houses were burned and looted, Brown and a small group of men led an attack against five pro-slavery men at Pottawatomie Creek, killing them all. Brown led several more attacks against pro-slavery supporters while also helping freed slaves make it to safe territory. After leaving Kansas to try and rally African Americans to the cause, Brown attacked the U.S. arsenal at Harper’s Ferry in what is now West Virginia. Brown was caught and eventually hanged. After his death, Brown inspired many more Northerners to join the cause, which eventually led to the Civil War. On the second floor in the Kansas State Capitol, you can find Brown immortalized in the mural Tragic Prelude by John Steuart Curry. Curry depicted the passionate abolitionist as larger-than-life, with a Bible in one hand and a rifle in the other, arms out wide protecting those behind him.
THE CURTIS HOUSE
1101 SW Topeka Blvd.
Charles Curtis, born in 1860 in North Topeka, was the great-grandson of a Kansa Indian Chief and became the fi rst Native American to serve in the U.S. Congress. He served as a U.S. Representative, Senator, and Vice President under Herbert Hoover, playing a key role in Native American policy with the Curtis Act of 1898. The Charles Curtis House, 1101 SW Topeka Blvd., was built in 1879 and served as his Kansas residence. It now operates as a museum, celebrating his legacy and place in Topeka’s history.
