A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate relating to the 150th anniversary of the admittance of the State of Kansas to the United States as the 34th State.

Whereas January 29, 2011, marks the 150th anniversary of the admittance to the State of Kansas to the United States as the 34th State;

Whereas the sesquicentennial of the statehood of the State of Kansas is cause for celebration and reflection;

Whereas the name Kansas is derived from the Kansa Indians who, among many other Indian tribes, have inhabited the plains of the United States for centuries;

Whereas Kansas received official recognition as a territory in 1854;

Whereas the territorial years of Kansas, commonly known as Bleeding Kansas, were marked by violence and bloodshed over whether Kansas would join the United States as a State that permitted slavery;

Whereas the territorial population of Kansas was committed to the ideals of personal freedom and individual liberty, which led to armed conflict with neighboring regions;

Whereas the battle between pro-freedom and pro-slavery interests over the future of Kansas were fought politically and violently in both Kansas and Washington, District of Columbia;

Whereas Kansas was admitted to the United States as a free State on January 29, 1861, under President James Buchanan following a debate that served as a factor in the outbreak of the Civil War;

Whereas the legislature of the State of Kansas convened for the first time in March 1861, only a month prior to the commencement of the Civil War with the firing on Fort Sumter in the State of South Carolina in April 1861;

Whereas two-thirds of the able-bodied males in the State of Kansas served in the Union Army over the course of the Civil War;

Whereas the State of Kansas was born in the midst of blood and battle, has established itself as a national leader in agriculture and aviation, and is a key contributor to the culture of the United States;

Whereas Kansas agricultural producers produce food, fuel, and fiber that is used throughout the United States and exported across the globe;

Whereas Kansas aircraft manufacturers have led the world in producing quality aircraft since the early days of aviation;

Whereas throughout the State and across generations, the people of the State of Kansas employ a work ethic and sense of duty befitting the American Dream, none better exemplify this than President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the boy who rose from humble beginnings to lead as Supreme Allied Commander in World War II and later serve as the 34th President of the United States;

Whereas from the days of the Bleeding Kansas border wars through the current deployments in the Middle East, patriotic people of the State of Kansas have answered the call of duty to fight for the United States and the cause of liberty, including Senator Bob Dole who was wounded as a young infantry officer in World War II and later served as Senate Majority Leader and the Republican Nominee for President of the United States in 1996;

Whereas the State of Kansas continues its proud military tradition by supporting troops and their families in the National Guard in towns across the State and at Fort Riley, McConnell Air Force Base, and the Army Staff and Command College in Leavenworth; and

Whereas the motto of the State of Kansas, Ad Astra per Aspera, which means To the Stars through Difficulty, pays respect to the turbulent past of the State of Kansas, while remaining hopeful about the future: Now, therefore, be it