Kansas

Before 1827, Kansas was inhabited by indigenous peoples for thousands of years. During the 1820s through the 1850s, non-indigenous settlers began to move into the region. Kansas experienced significant conflict known as 'Bleeding Kansas,' involving violent confrontations between Free-Staters from New England and pro-slavery advocates from the neighboring state of Missouri.

Kansas officially joined the Union as a free state on January 29, 1861, earning the nickname 'The Free State.' The American Civil War began in April 1861, just a few months after Kansas's admission.

The state has leaned Republican in presidential elections and has not voted for a Democratic candidate since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. This trend continued in the 2020 election, where Donald Trump won with approximately 56.2% of the vote compared to Joe Biden's 41.2%.

Kansas's population growth has been slow in recent decades, and it currently has six electoral votes, down from the 10 it had from the early 20th century through the 1930s.