M a n y e x c itin g e v e n ts o c c u rre d in th e m id -w e s te rn te rrito ry o f K a n s a s a fte r1 8 5 5 . J o h n A . M a rtin , re c o rd e d a s o n e o f th e fo u n d e rs o f th e R e p u b lic a n p a rty in K a n s a s , a r r iv e d in A tc h is o n w ith h is p a re n ts fr o m P e n n s y lv a n ia in1 8 5 7 . Y o u n g M a rtin fo u n d w o rk a ta s m a ll p ro -s la v e ry n e w s p a p e r c o m p a n y th a t p u b lis h e d th eS q u a tte r S o v e r e ig n .

P u rc h a s in g th e b u s in e s s a n d p ro p e rty in F e b ru a ry1 8 5 8 w h e n h e w a s 1 9 y e a rso ld , h e c h a n g e d th e n a m e o f its p a p e r to th eA tc h is o n C h a m p io na n d th e p u b lic a tio n a ls o c h a n g e d its e d ito r ia l s y m p a th ie s to a n a n ti-s la v e ry s ta n c e .

A t th e s a m e tim e , th e K a n s a s F re e -S ta te p a rty d is s o lv e d a n d its m e m b e rs jo in e d e ith e r th e n e w e r R e p u b lic a n p a rty o r th e D e m o c ra t P a rty .I n M a y ,h e w a s c h o s e n a s o n e o f th e s e c re ta rie s o f th e R e p u b lic a n p a rty . InJ u n e o f th e s a m e y e a r, th e R e p u b lic a n s a n d D e m o c ra ts m e t a t O s a w a to m ieto s e le c t d e le g a te s fo r th e W y a n d o tte c o n v e n tio n . M a rtin w a s o n e o f th o s es e le c te d , s e rv in g a s s e c re ta ry . H e w ro te th e p re a m b le a n d fo u r o f th e te n a rtic le s o f in c o rp o ra tio n . A t th e c o n v e n tio n , th e R e p u b lic a n s w e re th e m a jo rity p a rty in tw e n ty c o u n tie s a n d th e D e m o c ra ts in s e v e n .

O n J u ly5 ,1 8 5 9i n W y a n d o tte , th e d e le g a te s c h o s e a R e p u b lic a n a s th e ir p re s id in g o ffic e ra n d M a rtin w a s e le c te d s e c re ta ry . S ix te e n c o m m itte e s w e re c re a te d to d ra ft a s ta te c o n s titu tio n p re p a ra to ry to th e te rrito ry 's a p p lic a tio n fo r s ta te h o o d . T h e ir g u id e w a s th e O h io c o n s titu tio n , a n d b o th s la v e ry a n d s u ffra g e w e re h o t to p ic s . W h e n fin a lly a s s e m b le d , th e n e w ly d ra fte d c o n s titu tio n p r o h ib ite d s la v e ry b u t a ls o re je c te d g iv in g w o m e n th e rig h t to v o te . O n J u ly2 3 ,1 8 5 9 , th e fir s t b a llo t w a s ta k e n . It w o u ld d e te rm in e w h ic h to w n w o u ld b e c o m e th e n e w s ta te 's c a p ito l a n d A tc h is o n , L a w re n c e , a n d T o p e k a w e re s tro n g c o n te n d e rs . O n th e s e c o n d b a llo t, T o p e k a w o n b y a s m a ll m a rg in a n d th e d e c is io n w a s a c c e p te d . O c to b e r 4 ,1 8 5 9 , th e c o n s titu tio n w a s a p p ro v e d b y th e p e o p le o f K a n s a s T e rrito ry w ith1 0 ,4 2 1 v o te s fo r it a n d5 ,5 3 0 v o te s a g a in s t. K a n s a s w a s in th e m id s t o f a s e v e re d ro u g h t d u r in g th is y e a r a n d in to1 8 6 0 th a t la s te d1 5 m o n th s .

M a rtin w a s n a m e d s e c re ta ry o f th e T e rrito ria l R e lie f C o n v e n tio n o v e rs e e in g m o re th a n7 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0 p o u n d s o f fo o d c o n trib u te d b y th e U n ite d S ta te s g o v e rn m e n t. H e p u b lis h e d th e s o u r c e s a n d d is p e n s a tio n o f th e r e lie f in h is n e w s p a p e r, th eC h a m p io n .

In C le v e la n d , O h io d u r in g 1 8 5 9 , P re s id e n t L in c o ln s p o k e in th e L in c o ln /D o u g la s d e b a te so n th e e a s t s ta irs o f th e re b u ilt O h io s ta te h o u s e (re c o n s tru c te d a fte r a firein 1 8 5 2 ).

in1 8 6 0 , a s ta te c e n s u s c o u n te d th e p e o p le in K a n s a s , c o m in g u p w ith s lig h tly o v e r7 0 ,0 0 0 in h a b ita n ts , to o fe w to g a in re p re s e n ta tio n in C o n g re s s a s a s ta te . H o w e v e r, a fe d e r a l c e n s u s a ls o ta k e n in 1 8 6 0 s h o w e d a p o p u la tio n o f o v e r 1 0 0 ,0 0 0 a n d th u s r e p r e s e n ta tio n w a s le g a l.

L in c o ln w o n . T h is v ic to r y p le a s e d th e lo c a l p a rty m e m b e r s w h o re g a rd e d it a s ju s t p u n is h m e n t v is ite d u p o n th e " m is e ra b le o lig a rc h y o f s la v e h o ld e r s a n d tr a ito r s ," a s th e y c a lle d th e D e m o c ra ts a n d n o n -v o te rs . M a n y d e c id e d th e y w o u ld h a v e v o te d fo rA be L in c o ln a n y w a y a n d b e c a m e e x tre m e ly p ro u d to c la im h im a s a p a rty m e m b e r.

O n O c to b e r 1 7 , 1 8 6 0 , a m e e tin g in T o p e k a d is c u s s e d p o s s ib le a id fro m th e fe d e ra l g o v e rn m e n t. T h e A tc h is o n , W y a n d o tte , a n d T o p e k a in te re s ts w o rk e d in te n s e ly to fo r g e th e lin e e v e n tu a lly k n o w n a s th e A tc h is o n , T o p e k a a n d S a n ta F e R a ilr o a d .

S o m e m e m b e r s o f th e C h a llis s fa m ily , a n c e s to rs o f P a u l's fu tu re w ife , R u thM a rtin , b e c a m e c lo s e ly c o n n e c te d w ith th o s e e n d e a v o rs . B y th e e n d o f1 8 7 0 , te n y e a rs la te r, th e to ta l m ile s o f ra ilro a d tra c k w e re1 ,2 3 4 .

K a n s a s h a d b e c o m e th e th irty -fo u rth s ta r in th e U n ite d S ta te s fla g o n J a n u a ry 2 9 , 1 8 6 1 . T h e s ta te m o tto : "T o th e S ta rs T h ro u g h D iffic u lty ," re fle c te d th e s e v e n y e a r s tru g g le to a tta in s ta te h o o d .

1 ,2 3 1 a n d th e C o n g r e g a tio n a lis ts a n d P re s b y te ria n s h a d a b o u t 8 0 0 a n d 6 0 0 , re s p e c tiv e ly . T h e ir c o m b in e d m e m b e rs h ip w a s o n ly s ix p e rc e n t o f th e to ta l p o p u la tio n o f a b o u t1 0 0 ,0 0 0 .

H e n ry W a d s w o r th L o n g fe llo w w ro te th e w o rd s fo r a C h ris tm a s s o n g "I H e a rd th e B e lls o n C h ris tm a s D a y ," d u rin g1 8 6 4 in m e m o ry o f h is w ife w h o h a d d ie d th r e e y e a r s e a r lie r in a tr a g icfire . L o n g fe llo w , h o rrib ly b u rn e d o n h is fa c e a n d h a n d s w h ile try in g to e x tin g u is h th e b la z e o f h is b e lo v e d 's d r e s s , h a d g r o w n a b e a rd b e c a u s e th e s c a r s m a d e s h a v in g a lm o s t im p o s s ib le . L o n g fe llo w 's fir s t s ta n z a in c lu d e d th e n o w - fa m ilia r p h r a s e s :