Partners - Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area

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The Struggles for Freedom on the Missouri/Kansas Border
Extraordinary events in Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area forever changed America. In the nineteenth century, the nation turned its eyes to the Missouri-Kansas border, where peoples with diverse definitions of freedom collided, inciting and fueling a Civil War. The impact of these events is forever woven into the nation’s fabric.

Freedom's Frontier began as a grassroots effort of people just like you, who were concerned about our landscape. They understood that we have an important, nationally significant story to share about shaping the frontier, the Missouri-Kansas Border War and the enduring struggle for freedom. Join us in our efforts in helping to interpret history that helped shape a nation.

We appreciate your interest in Freedom's Frontier and look forward to your participation. Learn more about our partnering organizations with a browse through Places to See. Read some of the heritage area's Stories, and take a look at the Historic Timeline. You'll find our Partnership Pledge and other documents below. Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area does not collect dues, and the benefits of partnership are many. If you have questions about becoming a partner, contact us.

Heritage Area Themes

Shaping the Frontier:
For the half million pioneers who traveled on the Santa Fe, California, Mormon, and Oregon Trials, the Missouri/Kansas border was the jumping off point. In this place where river travel ended, traders, miners, and emigrants purchased provisions and prepared for long overland treks. As they traveled west, many began to see the "permanent" Indian frontier beyond Missouri’s western border as an obstacle to Manifest Destiny.

Missouri/Kansas Border War:
When Kansas was opened for settlement in 1854, a border war ensured, capturing the nation’s attention. The Kansas-Nebraska Act nullified the uneasy balance established by the Missouri Compromise and left the territory’s future slave status in the hands of settlers. The stakes were high for both sides. The violence of the Missouri/Kansas Border War ushered in the Civil War, consumed the region in bloody conflict through war’s end, and devastated communities on both sides of the border.

Enduring Struggles for Freedom:
The nation’s struggle for freedom did not end with the Civil War. Though the war eliminated clashes over geography, efforts to break down society’s barriers continue. Since the Civil War, this place has inspired national policies and ongoing efforts to secure equal freedoms for all Americans.

*Meeting Summaries
      Johnson County Library 01.12.2017
      Historic Truman Courthouse 03.09.2017
      Tonganoxie Community Historical Society 05.11.2017
      Bushwhacker Museum 07.13.2017
      Kansas City Public Library 01.11.2018
      Schuyler Museum 03.08.2018
      Bates County Museum 05.10.2018
      Banner Creek Science Center & Observatory 07.12.2018
      University of Central Missouri 09.13.2018
      Mid-Continent Library (Woodneath Library Center) 03.14.2019
*Some older meeting minutes can be found on the Planning Docs page, under Archives.
More than a Yellow Brick Road: A Freedom's Frontier "Podioguide"

Advisory Committee

Partner Advisory Group Members

Partner Advisory Group meetings are held monthly virtually (on Zoom), from 9:15 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., on the 2nd Thursday of each month.

Base Map of Missouri and Kansas Counties

Location: 41 counties in Eastern Kansas and Western Missouri, USA
Area: 31,021 square miles, approximately the size of South Carolina
Population: 2,883,526 (2017 estimate)
Established: October 12, 2006

Counties involved: Kansas – Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Bourbon, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Clay, Coffey, Crawford, Douglas, Franklin, Geary, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Labette, Leavenworth, Linn, Miami, Montgomery, Neosho, Osage, Pottawatomie, Riley, Shawnee, Wabaunsee, Wilson, Woodson, Wyandotte. Missouri – Barton, Bates, Buchanan, Cass, Clay, Jackson, Johnson, Lafayette, Platte, Ray, St. Clair, Vernon.

Mission, Vision, and Management Plan

These and other documents are on the Planning Docs page.

New Partner Pledge and Information

Partner List

Partner Package with Partner Pledge, Information Sheet and Questionnaire

- Partner Pledge

- Partner Information Sheet

- Partner Questionnaire

Pollinator Pledge

Interpretive Grant Application

More information about partner opportunities (including the Interpretive Grant Program) can be found on the Resources page.