On the coattails of a new exhibit, a presentation at the Smoky Hill Museum will focus on Civil War events that happened in Kansas.

According to the museum, the May presentation titled “The Civil War in Kansas” is planned for this Thursday, May 1st. Will Haynes from the Watkins History Museum in Lawrence will discuss the story of the Civil War in Kansas and how it shaped the state’s image for year’s afterward.

Earlier in April the “Kansas: Battleground for Freedom” exhibit opened at the Smoky Hill Museum. It explores how Kansas found itself a hotbed of political turmoil and a foreshadowing of the coming Civil War. In the turbulent mid-19th century, the Kansas Territory was at the heart of intense conflict. When the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 was passed, it allowed the people in those territories to decide for themselves whether they wanted to be free or slave states. It quickly turned Kansas into a battleground. Both pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers rushed in, hoping to tip the scales in their favor. What followed was a series of violent clashes that earned the region the nickname “Bleeding Kansas”.

You can enjoy “The Civil War in Kansas” presentation this Thursday evening from 5:30 till 6:30 at the Smoky Hill Museum. Attend in person at the museum, or go to www.smokyhillmuseum.org to register for a Zoom link and watch from home. This free presentation is underwritten by Humanities Kansas.