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Taste of Kansas road trip follows the footsteps of John Brown in Kansas
A cold wind met John Brown as he arrived in Kansas Territory in October 1855. Weak and exhausted, he came to help his sons and to fight slavery from expanding into the new territory. Brown was an impressive figure, lean and strong, nearly 6 feet in height, his face weather-beaten. He was usually courteous, but defiant in his beliefs, his eyes revealed his fiery passion. Soon the famed abolitionist was at the center of violence in the territory.
Brown brought with him supplies and weapons. He quickly assembled an armed militia to defend freestaters near the Kansas-Missouri border. Brown’s troops arrived too late when proslavery troops sacked Lawrence on May 21, 1856. In retaliation, he led an attack in Franklin County on May 24, 1856, kidnapping and killing five men. After his sons were kidnapped, he fought proslavery forces at the Battle of Black Jack near Baldwin City on June 2, 1856. The national media began to call the territory Bleeding Kansas. On August 30, 1856, proslavery troops marched toward Osawatomie where Brown was headquartered. His son Frederick was the first casaulty. Outnumbered, Brown’s men fought valiantly until they had exhausted their ammunition. Soon afterward, Brown left Kansas to pursue his fight against slavery in the South. He shifted his focus toward a federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia.)
Now participants can join the Kansas Historical Society and the Kansas Historical Foundation to follow in the footsteps of John Brown in Kansas. Taste of Kansas – Tragic Prelude, held September 16-17, 2016, will offer an insider’s view of these stories of Bleeding Kansas. Led by Historical Society staff members, the tour will also include delicious regional foods with a backdrop of the beautiful wooded hills of eastern Kansas.
The road trip, beginning in Topeka, will take participants into the cabin that Brown used as his headquarters, highlight archeological discoveries from the family cabin, and walk where Brown’s men raided and fought. The two-day experience also includes a tour of a house that survived the Sack of Lawrence, where Underground Railroad activity occurred, insights about the mural of Brown that was so controversial, and conclude with a very special encounter of original letters that Brown wrote.
Find information and links to help you register and pay for the Taste of Kansas online at kshs.org/18914. A special early bird rate is available to members through August 19. If you are not already a member, find a link to become a member to reduce your fee. Registration closes September 1, 2016; seats are limited. The program fees cover all local transportation (by bus), meals, admission fees, tour guides, and performances. Lodging is not included.
Hotel reservations can be made at Hyatt Place, 6021 SW 6th Avenue, Topeka KS 66615; [masked]; there is a Kansas Historical Society room rate of $99. Rooms are limited and special pricing is available only through September 1, 2016. The Hyatt Place is conveniently located near the Historical Society. For more information call [masked], ext. 205.
The Taste of Kansas – Tragic Prelude road trip is made possible through support by Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area.
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