On March 15th, National Kansas Day celebrates the Sunflower State. The wide-open plains of Kansas were once home to magnificent herds of bison, elk, mule deer, and antelope. The region became a part of the United States with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. The state of Kansas has always been the epitome of the American spirit. When the country was first founded, all roads seemed to lead to Kansas. The Corps of Discovery trekked here in 1804, and the Pony Express rode through Kansas in 1860. The railroad brought rapid settlement to the territory and with it a difficult decision. Would Kansas be free or slave? The debates were so vicious they earned the name “Bleeding Kansas.” But in 1861, the territory entered the union as the 34th state and free. The United States Supreme Court ruled that schools should be integrated in 1954. The decision was brought to the highest court in the nation by a group of parents and teachers from communities with segregated schools. In the end, separate but equal education violated the Fourteenth Amendment.  

Kansas Day is a holiday observed on 15 March each year.

We have been unable thus far to find the creator of this national day, but we will be sure to keep you posted.