Stretched Kansas

Douglas

When Kansans were discussing how big of a state they wanted to be in the 1850's, there were two major groups: supporters of a Little Kansas and supporters of a Big Kansas. The Little Kansas supporters were in favor of a state of a size similar to the one that eventually achieved statehood.

The supporters of a Big Kansas, on the other hand, wanted a Kansas extending Kansas' northern and southern borders all the way to the Continental Divide. What if this group had won out? Today Kansas would also contain the most populous parts of Colorado. I'm sure there's one or two political butterflies that would occur, too...

EDIT: Minus the portion of New Mexico Territory that Colorado swiped later on.

67_1_ksmap-1.jpg
 

hzn5pk

I think that other boundaries would follow suit. Bigger western states would be a norm. There would be fewer of the less populous states. I can see 48 total states, maybe even 46. Even with larger boundaries and more people, the western states would still be less populated.
 

wolf_brother

Banned
The issue you have to look at here is slavery though. The divide between 'Little Kansas' and 'Big Kanas' was that of slave states vs free states. 'Little' supporters were free states, and wishes to divvy up the Western territories into as many free states as possible to create a majority in the Congress, while the 'Big' advocates were slave state supporters who wishes to do the opposite to preserve their own majority in Congress. If Kansas is larger and other future states in the West follow suit, then the slave states have effectively won. Bleeding Kansas is presumably a less effective affair, and with the slave states triumphant presumably as well even IF Lincoln is elected he won't have the necessary power to overturn slavery, averting the Civil War as we know it altogether.
 

Evan

No, they would have lost less badly if they managed to survive for several more decades, but the voting power of the West isn't even an issue until they get admitted to the Union. In OTL, Kansas wasn't admitted until after Lincoln's election, so I totally fail to see how a bigger Kansas would butterfly that.

Or are you saying that the only way to get a bigger Kansas would be for the slave states to first have won? I wouldn't go that far. Maybe it'd come out of another compromise?
 

Swan Station

I think these decisions go further back than statehood. The unofficial Territory of Jefferson was formed after the Colorado Gold Rush in 1859, and I assume this wouldn't have happened if the population there hadn't felt some disconnection from the territorial government in the east.
 
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