"shall begin on the Delaware line, where said line crosses the left branch of Salt creek, thence down said creek to the Missouri river, thence up the Missouri river thirty miles when measured on a straight line, thence westwardly to a point twenty miles from the Delaware line, so as to include in the lands assigned to the Kickapoos at least twelve hundred square miles.”

1833.

FEBRUARY 14.-Seven millions of acres of land ceded to the Cherokees. MAY 13.-The United States agree to convey to the Quapaw Indians one hundred and fifty sections of land west of the State line of Missouri, and between the lands of the Senecas and Shawnees.

OCTOBER 9.-Treaty made with the Pawnees at Grand Pawnee Village, on the Platte river.

The following is copied from F. G. Adams's Homestead Guide:

"The Pawnees were a powerful and warlike tribe, and for a century they maintained sway over the country embraced by the branches of the Kansas river, and over the whole region watered by the Platte, from near the Rocky Mountains to its mouth. They were divided into several villages or bands, one of which, the 'Pawnee Republic,' gave its name to the Republican river. The Otoes, Omahas and other tribes acknowledged the superiority of the Pawnees, and lived under their protection. In 1832, however, all these tribes were ravaged by the small-pox, and it is said that the Pawnees then lost half their population. The following year, by treaty, they disposed of, to the United States, all their claims to the land lying south of the Platte river, and agreed to locate themselves north of that river and west of the Missouri. This they did. But large bodies of Sioux came down on their new settlements, and drove them back with great slaughter. Some returned to their old villages; others joined their allies, the Otoes and Omahas. They continued to be unfortunate, and by the ravages of wars and disease rapidly dwindled in numbers."

1834.

The first printing press brought to Kansas by Rev. Joseph Meeker. The Ottawa (Franklin county) Republican of May 20, 1875, says:

"The press in question was brought to Franklin county in 1834, when this country was all in Indian reservations, and was set up at the Baptist Mission farm, five miles northeast of Ottawa, and two miles down the Ottawa creek from the J. T. Jones place. It was sent out by the Baptist Home Mission Society, of New York, at the urgent ' request of Rev. Mr. Meeker, the first missionary to the Ottawa Indians. Mr. Meeker published a small missionary paper in the English and Cherokee languages. In addition to this paper, he wrote and published several school books in the Indian language, a book of the code of laws of the Ottawas, a hymn book, and several' Sunday school books, all in the native language. The type and other material used at the mission farm by Rev. Mr. Meeker were finally scattered broadcast by the Indian children; and Mr. Richmond tells us that he could pick up whole handfuls of type, as late as 1865, near where that zealous missionary and his wife lie buried."

-The first stock of goods landed near the present site of Kansas City, Missouri.

JUNE 30.—Congress enacts that all that part of the United States west of the Mississippi, and not within the States of Missouri and Louisiana or the Territory of Arkansas, shall be taken for the purpose of the act to be Indian country, and certain regulations are prescribed for its government. So much of the laws of the United States as provide for the punishment of crime committed in any place within the exclusive jurisdiction of the

United States are declared to be in force in it, with the proviso that the same shall not extend to crime committed by one Indian against the person or property of another Indian. For the purpose of carrying this act into effect, all that part of the Indian country west of the Mississippi river that is bounded north by the north line of lands assigned to the Osage tribe of Indians, produced east to the State of Missouri, west by the Mexican possessions, south by Red river, and east by the west line of the Territory of Arkansas, is annexed to the Territory of Arkansas; and the residue of the Indian country west of the Mississippi is annexed to the judicial district of Missouri.

1835.

APRIL 20.-First railroad convention in St. Louis.

MAY 29.-Expedition of Colonel Henry Dodge, U. S. A., to the Rocky Mountains. Colonel Dodge left Fort Leavenworth May 29. He followed the west bank of the Missouri nearly to the mouth of the Platte, traced the Platte to its source, went south to the head-waters of the Arkansas, and returned through that valley. In other words, he marked the line of the railroads from Leavenworth and Atchison to near Omaha, took the Union Pacific west, followed the Colorado railroads to Pueblo, and came home by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe line. Fort Dodge is on the return trail.

DECEMBER 29.-The United States agree to convey to the Cherokee Indians "the following additional tract of land, situated between the west line of the State of Missouri and the Osage reservation: Beginning at the southeast corner of the same, and runs north along the east line of the Osage lands fifty miles to the northeast corner thereof, and thence east to the west line of the State of Missouri, thence with said line south fifty miles, thence west to the place of beginning---estimated to contain eight hundred thousand acres of land; but it is expressly understood that, if any of the lands assigned to the Quapaws shall fall within the aforesaid bounds, the same shall be reserved and excepted out of the lands above granted, and a pro rata reduction shall be made in the price to be allowed to the United States for the same by the Cherokees." This treaty was confirmed · by Congress in 1838, and General Scott marched into their country, in Georgia, with 2,000 troops, and forced their removal.

1836.

JUNE 7.—The western boundary of Missouri was a line drawn north and south from the mouth of the Kansas river. In 1836, June 7, Congress passed an act by which the "Platte Purchase" was added to Missouri. The eastern boundary of this triangle was formed by a line drawn north from the mouth of the Kaw; the western boundary was the Missouri river. This tract of land became slave territory, in violation of the Missouri compromise.

JULY 21.-The office of the St. Louis Observer, an Anti-Slavery paper, edited by Elijah P. Lovejoy, broken into in the night. The presses were

overthrown, and the type scattered into the street. Mr. Lovejoy removed to Alton, Illinois, where he was killed, November 8, 1837. The press moved from St. Louis had been destroyed at Alton, and Lovejoy was murdered while defending another press, lately brought to Alton.

1837.

FEBRUARY 11.-The United States agree to convey "to the Pottawatomies of Indiana a tract of country, on the Osage river, southwest of the Missouri river, sufficient in extent, and adapted to their habits and wants.” MARCH 28.-The act of June 7, 1836, takes effect by the proclamation of March 28, 1837, and the western boundary of Missouri is extended to the Missouri river.

MARCH 29.-Launching of the first steamboat built in St. Louis.

OCTOBER 31.- Plan of defences of the western frontier proposed by Charles Gratiot, and published in the report of J. R. Poinsett, Secretary of War. This is another railroad map. The lines of the Missouri Pacific and North Missouri railroads, the route from Kansas City to Omaha, and directly south to Fort Smith-these and other lines in Missouri and Arkansas anticipate with marvellous accuracy the present railroad system. Posts were recommended at Fort Scott and Kansas City.

NOVEMBER 17.-Burning of the State House at Jefferson City, and destruction of official papers and records.

DECEMBER 20.-The United States agree to reserve a location on the head-waters of the Osage river for the Saginaw tribe of Chippewas.

1838.

JANUARY 15.-The United States agree to set apart to the New York Indians "the following tract of country, situated directly west of the State of Missouri: Beginning on the west line of the State of Missouri, at the northeast corner of the Cherokee tract, and running thence north along the west line of the State of Missouri twenty-seven miles to the southerly line of the Miami lands; thence west so far as shall be necessary, by running a line at right angles, and parallel to the west line aforesaid, to the Osage lands, and thence easterly along the Osage and Cherokee lands to the place of beginning; to include one million eight hundred and twentyfour thousand acres of land, being three hundred and twenty acres for each soul of said Indians, as their numbers are at present computed." This land is also intended as a future home for the Senecas, Onondagas, Cayugas, Tuscaroras, Oneidas, St. Regis, Stockbridges, Munsees, and Brothertowns, residing in the State of New York.

1842.

MAY.-Lieutenant John C. Fremont arrived at St. Louis May 22, 1842. Thence he proceeded to Cyprian Chouteau's trading house, on the Kansas river, about six miles west of the Missouri line; latitude 39° 5' 57''; longitude 94° 39′ 16′′; elevation above the sea, about 700 feet. He started

thence June 10, with Kit Carson as his guide. On the 12th he seems to have camped near the site of Lawrence:

"We encamped in a remarkably beautiful situation on the Kanzas bluffs, which commanded a fine view of the river valley, here from three to four miles wide. The central portion was occupied by a broad belt of heavy timber, and nearer the hills the prairies were of the richest verdure."

On the 14th, he crossed to the north side of the river, probably at the point where Topeka now stands. On the 16th, he says:

"We were now fairly in the Indian country, and it began to be time to prepare for the chances of the wilderness."

His journey thence was northwest, to the Blue and the Platte. The expedition went as far west as the Wind River mountains; left there August 18; returned by the Platte, and reached the Missouri at the mouth of the Platte, October 1:

JUNE.- Captain Moore, of the U. S. Dragoons, and Dr. Mott, of the Regular army, select Fort Scott as a military post. It was occupied by United States troops until 1854.

1843.

MAY.-Fremont passes up the Kansas river on a second expedition. DECEMBER 14.—The Wyandottes purchase of the Delawares 23,040 acres of land at the junction of the Missouri and Kansas rivers. This contract was ratified by the United States, July 25, 1848; on the 1st of April, 1850, they agree to pay the Wyandottes $185,000 for the lands promised them.

1844.

"The Commerce of the Prairies," by Josiah Gregg, published in Philadelphia; two volumes.

·Colonel Dodge, of the Third U. S. Dragoons, makes an expedition from Fort Leavenworth to Pike's Peak.

—The Mormons cross the plains, starting near the site of the present city of Atchison.

-General Kearney marches from Fort Leavenworth to Santa Fe.

1846.

JANUARY 14.--The Kansas Indians cede to the United States "two millions of acres of land on the east part of their country, embracing the entire width, thirty miles, and running west for quantity."

JUNE 5 and 17.-The United States grant to the Pottawatomies a tract of land containing 576,000 acres, being thirty miles square, and being the eastern part of the lands ceded to the United States by the Kansas tribe of Indians, January 14, 1846, adjoining the Shawnees on the south, and the Delawares and Shawnees on the east, on both sides of the Kansas river.

AUGUST 8.-President Polk sends a special message to Congress, asking an appropriation of money to pay for territory to be acquired by treaty from Mexico. A bill was reported appropriating $30,000 expenses of negotiations, and $2,000,000 to be used in making a treaty. The House was Democratic by 120 to 72. A few Northern Democrats— among them Hannibal Hamlin, of Maine, Preston King, of New York, and David Wilmot,

of Pennsylvania, held a caucus and decided that, inasmuch as Mexico had . abolished slavery some twenty years before, all territory acquired from that country should come in free. In accordance with this understanding, Mr. Wilmot offered the following proviso to the first section of the bill:

"Provided, That, as an express and fundamental condition to the acquisition of any territory from the republic of Mexico by the United States, by virtue of any treaty that may be negotiated between them, and to the use by the Executive of the moneys herein appropriated, neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall ever exist in any part of said territory, except for crime, whereof the party shall first be duly convicted."

The bill passed the House with this proviso, by 85 to 80. It then went to the Senate, in the last hours of the session, and remained there without action upon it when the session ended, August 10.

1847.

The Catholic Osage Mission established in what is now Neosho county. The boys' school opened May 1, and the girls' school, October 10.

DECEMBER 24.—Lewis Cass first promulgates the Squatter Sovereignty dogma, in a letter to A. O. P. Nicholson, of Nashville, Tennessee. He says:

"The Wilmot Proviso has been before the country for some time. It has been repeatedly discussed in Congress, and by the public press. I am strongly impressed with the opinion that a great change has been going on in the public mind upon this subject-in my own as well as others'; and that doubts are resolving themselves into convictions, that the principle it involves should be kept out of the national legislature, and left to the people of the Confederacy in their respective local governments.

"Briefly, then, I am opposed to the exercise of any jurisdiction by Congress over this matter; and I am in favor of leaving the people of any territory which may be hereafter acquired the right to regulate it themselves, under the general principles of the constitution."

The letter is published in Niles's Register. This firebrand did not make Cass President in 1848, nor Douglas in 1860. On the 1st of March, 1847, Mr. Cass said, in the Senate, of the Wilmot Proviso: "Last year I should have voted for the proposition, had it come up.”

1848.

FEBRUARY 2, 1848, Mexico ceded the territory now covered by the States of California and Nevada; also her claims to the territory covered by the present State of Texas, by the Territories of Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico, by portions of the Territories of Wyoming and Colorado, and by the unorganized territory west of the Indian country, except that part of the Territory of Arizona and that part of the Territory of New Mexico lying south of the River Gila and west of the old boundary of New Mexico, which lands were ceded by Mexico December 30, 1853, and are known as the Gadsden Purchase.-U. S. Census Report, 1870, Vol. I, p. 574.

The United States paid to Mexico $15,000,000.

—Major W. H. Emory makes a military reconnoissance from Fort Leavenworth to San Diego.

1849.

Publication of The California and Oregon Trail, by Francis Parkman. -Fort Laramie, established by a fur company, is transferred to the United States.