Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 Summary and Analysis

Chapter 1: Prior to the middle of the nineteenth century, Kansas was called "the Great American Desert." To many it was unfit for cultivation, an arid wasteland. However, by 1850, America's growing population was demanding new sources of land, and in 1854 Congress passed the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which opened Kansas to settlement (it used to be only an Indian reservation). Lured by cheap land, people from all places and economic conditions came to Kansas. Boats, though slow and crowded, were a popular form of transportation, due to comfort. The stagecoach was ideal for single people or small families, though the roads were rough. Horses were changed every 15 or so miles at stations to ensure the fastest coach possible. In 1862, construction began on the Kansas Pacific Railroad, which by 1870 had reached Denver. This provided another mode of transport through Kansas, though...