Extraordinary events in the Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area (FFNHA) 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 the Civil War. The impact of these events is forever woven into the nation’s fabric.

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.

Freedom’s Frontier provides new opportunities for visitors and residents to explore the evolving ideal and fundamental American value of FREEDOM.

Vision: Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area is an internationally recognized region in western Missouri and eastern Kansas. The heritage area shares its authentic and honestly interpreted stories with residents and visitors who add to the economic vitality of the region. Freedom’s Frontier respects multiple views of freedom and promotes the region’s contributions to the American story.

Mission: We tell the stories of the struggles for freedom in our region and their lasting impact on our nation.

Guiding Principles:
1. We will be tolerant and respectful diverse stories from multiple perspectives.
2. We will respect property rights.
3. We will focus on authentic and engaging experiences.
4. We honor the region’s peoples, past and present.
5. We appreciate unique cultural and historic assets within the nationally important landscape.
6. We will invest in community engagement, education, and empowerment.
7. We will sustain and grow a sense of place.
8. We value and protect the natural environment.
9. We will consider future generations in all actions.

Prior to its designation as a National Heritage Area, FFNHA completed a feasibility study. It was submitted to Congress in 2006.

Read FFNHA’s feasibility study.

FFNHA was designated by Congress as a National Heritage Area on October 12, 2006.

View our enabling legislation here.

National Heritage Area legislation typically requires the development of a management plan within three years of designation. National Heritage Area management plans include long-range policies, goals, strategies, and actions; an implementation plan with short, mid, and long-range actions and performance goals; a business plan for the heritage area coordinating entity; and an interpretive plan.

For readability and user convenience, the FFNHA Management Plan is separated into sections below. A complete PDF can be found here.

I. Front Cover & Table of Contents

II. Executive Summary

III. Part 1: The Power of Place

IV. Part 2: The Power of Story

V. Part 3: The Power of Action

VI. Part 4: The Power of Partnership

VII. Part 5: The Power of People

VIII. Appendix A

IX. Appendix B

View our Bylaws here.

2012 Annual Report

2013 Annual Report

2014 Annual Report

2015 Annual Report

2016 Annual Report

2017 Annual Report

2018 Annual Report

2019 Annual Report

2020 Annual Report

2021 Annual Report

FY 2022 Annual Report

FY 2023 Annual Report

The maps below appear in the FFNHA Management Plan.

Counties of Freedom’s Frontier
A map of Freedom’s Frontier NHA’s boundaries

Cultural Watersheds
A map of the four principal river valleys within FFNHA’s boundaries

Native Peoples
A map of native ancestral lands within FFNHA

Population and Origins 1860
A map of FFNHA measuring population density of European-American settlers circa 1860

Shifting Political Boundaries
A series of maps demonstrating shifts in the political geography of counties within FFNHA since 1804

Growth and Development
A map measuring contemporary population density within FFNHA’s boundaries

Recreation Resources
A map indicating the locations of state parks, state forests, trails, and state scenic byways within FFNHA

Critical Habitat
A map measuring the density of endangered species recognized by state and federal agencies, along with the locations of national wildlife refuges, within FFNHA

Over the past 30 years, Congress has established 62 National Heritage Areas (NHAs) to commemorate, conserve, and promote important areas that include natural, scenic, historic, cultural, and recreational resources. NHAs are partnerships between the National Park Service (NPS), states, and local communities, where the NPS supports state and local conservation through federal recognition, seed money, and technical assistance. NHAs are not part of the National Park System, where lands are federally owned and managed. Rather, lands within heritage areas typically remain in state, local, or private ownership. In addition, other heritage areas have been designated by states and local governments and announcements. This issue brief, prepared by the Congressional Research Service, focuses on heritage areas designated by Congress, and related issues and legislation.

Learn more.