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Page 1 of 1, showing 4 records out of 4 total, starting on record 1, ending on 4

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Title | Creator | Date Made Visible | None

Governor John P. St. John to Roseline Cunningham

St. John, John Pierce, 1833-1916

In this letter, Governor St. John responded to Cunningham?s inquiry (from June 18, 1879) about receiving financial assistance to cover the cost of emigration to Kansas. He informs her that there is no society to aid her travel costs, and that the promise of ?40 acres and a mule? is a misrepresentation. While he states that he does sympathize with the Southern blacks? situation, he advises Cunningham that emigrants should not come to Kansas if they are destitute. He also provides her with information about Kansas, including the cost of farmland and the typical wage for laborers. Governor St. John, in addition to his official government duties, was also on the board of the Kansas Freedmen?s Relief Association, This association was formed to provide aid to Exodusters such as Cunningham, but unfortunately the association did not have adequate funding to provide for all the Exodusters fleeing from the South.

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Governor John Pierce St. John to Rev. Henry Smith

St. John, John Pierce, 1833-1916

Governor John P. St. John wrote this letter in response to Rev. Smith?s letter dated May 7, 1879. St. John informed Smith that the only problem with Southern blacks? emigrating into Kansas stemmed from the fact that many emigrants were destitute and in need of financial support. According to St. John, black settlers enjoy the same rights and privileges of white settlers. However, he also warned Smith that, while Kansas has a great deal to offer, the benefits of emigration were sometimes exaggerated. He encouraged Smith to be aware of these misrepresentations. St. John, in addition to his duties as governor, served on the board of the Kansas Freedmen?s Relief Association.

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S. H. B. Schoonmaker to Governor John P. St. John

Shoonmaker, S. H. B.

S. H. B. Shoonmaker of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, wrote this letter to Governor St. John on behalf of the black residents of his parish (county). He asked the governor a number of specific questions, including how these black emigrants could obtain land, where they should settle, and whether there were relief organizations that could assist the refugees. In addition to his service as governor, St. John also served on the Board of Directors of the Kansas Freedmen?s Relief Association.

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Action of Other Cities on the 'Exodus' Question

Wyandotte Gazette

This article includes information about Exoduster relief efforts in both Topeka and Lawrence. In Topeka, the Kansas Freedmen?s Aid Association had appealed to other counties, asking them to form local aid societies to assist refugees in their respective areas. Lawrence citizens held a meeting in Fraser Hall to discuss the Exodus; the attendees recognized the legitimacy of the Exodus and were willing to provide aid and support for the emigrants.

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