For the half million pioneers who traveled on the Santa Fe, California, Mormon, and Oregon Trails, 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.
Many towns in both Missouri and Kansas thrived because of westward migration and the opening of new territories to settlement. Explore the links below to learn more about the settlement within Freedom's Frontier.