Kalb, Johann

self-styled Baron de Kalb (1721-1780), visited America as a secret agent of the French Government in 1768. He was encouraged by Franklin and Silas Deane to join the Continental army, and accompanied Lafayette to the United States in 1777. He was appointed major-general and served under Washington in New Jersey and Maryland. In 178 he was dispatched to South Carolina in command of the Delaware and Maryland troops. At Camden his troops defeated the opposing British force, but were subsequently surrounded and DeKalb was mortally wounded. | | Kane, Elisha K. (1820-1857), served in the navy as a surgeon from 1843 to 1850, He accompanied E. J. DeHaven in 1850 on his Arctic expedition. In 1853-55 he commanded the ‘‘ Advance ’”’ in an Arctic exploring expedition. He reached latitude 80° 35’, and made | valuable and accurate scientific observations, which he published in his reports. Kansas. The territory of the State of Kansas formed a part of the Louisiana and Texas ce ions. The greater part was acquired by the United States in 1803. The portion lying south of the Arkansas River | and west of longitude 100° W. was ceded to the United States by Texas in 1850. The region was explored in 1541 by Corona do, a Spaniard. In 1819-1820 it was partly explored by Major Long, of the United States Army. In 1854 Stephen A. Douglas introduced a bill into Congre providing for the organization of the Kansas and Nebraska territories, and the repeal of the Mi ouri Compromise of 1820, whereby slavery was prohibited north of 36° 30’. The existence of slavery was left to the decision of the people of the State when admitted. The introduction and pa age, May 30, 1854, of this bill caused intense political I excitement. Emigrants from Arkansas and Mi ouri immediately began to move into Kansas to hold the State for the pro-slavery party. On the other hand the Ma achusetts Emigrant Aid Society sent out | colonies to keep slavery out of the State. The ‘‘ Kansas struggle ” then began. The pro-slavery men, aided by bands from Mi ouri, elected the Territorial delegate to Congre , November 29, 1854. March 30, 1855, an election took place for a Territorial Legislature, in which the | pro-slavery men were again succe ful. At this election 5,427 votes. were cast for their candidates, and 791 for their opponents, and yet there were but 2,905 legal voters in the country. This Legislature met | at Pawnee in July, and immediately proceeded to vote Kansas a slave Territory. On the other hand, the anti-slavery men met in convention at Topeka, and adopted a State Constitution which prohibited slavery, | October-November, 1855. This Constitution was ratified by popular | vote, December15. An election for a Legislature was held under this Constitution in January. May 21, Lawrence was pillaged. In the same year a party under John Brown murdered five men. A bill for the admi ion of the State was defeated in the Senate, and the State Legislature was dispersed by Federal troops in 1856. A pro-slavery convention adopted the Lecompton Constitution, which was submitted to a popular vote with or without slavery. The anti-slavery men refused to vote, and the Constitution was adopted. Ata second election, January 4, 1858, it was defeated, and again on August 3, at another election | ordered by Congre . In 1859 a constitutional convention at Wyan-. oe | dotte adopted a Constitution prohibiting slavery, which was ratified October 4. January 29, 1861, Kansas was admitted into the Union. The State was steadily Republican until 1882, when the Democrats carried the election. In 1892 the electoral votes of the State were cast for the candidate of the People’s party. The population of the State in 1890 was 1,427,096; in 1860 it was 107,206; in 1900, 1,470,495. Kansas-Nebraska Bill. Under the provisions of this bill, which was pa ed by Congre May 22, 1854, Kansas and Nebraska were separated and organized into Territories. The importance of this bill lay in the fact that it practically repealed the Mi ouri Compromise. In the bill as reported by Stephen A. Donglas, the question of slavery in the two Territories was to be settled within the Territories, and if adopted the fugitive slave law was to apply. The status of Nebraska was easily settled as a free Territory, but the question caused much trouble in Kansas. The pa age of the act had much to do with bringing on the Civil War.. Kaskaskia, I1., a French settlement, settled in the latter part of the seventeenth century, garrisoned in 1778 by British soldiers. Colonel George Rogers Clark captured it with three companies of Kentucky recruits on the night of July 4, after a short struggle and with but little bloodshed. 376