Presentation Explores Kansas in 1776

What was Kansas like when the United States declared its independence in 1776?

Wellington Public Library will explore that question during “Kansas 1776: A Dynamic Landscape,” a presentation and discussion with Adam Hodge at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 27, in the library’s community room.

While the landscape we know as Kansas has changed significantly over the past 250 years, it was already a dynamic place in 1776. Long before the nation’s “Founding Fathers” forged a new country, generations of human activity and natural processes had shaped the land.

Changing climate, Indigenous burning practices, shifting waterways and other forces continually transformed Kansas’ environment and influenced the people who lived here.

Hodge is head of reference at the Kansas State Historical Society in Topeka. He holds a Ph.D. in history, specializing in the environmental and Indigenous history of the North American West.

“Kansas 1776: A Dynamic Landscape” is presented through Humanities Kansas’ Speakers Bureau.