The first documented French visitor to the Kansas City area was Étienne de Veniard, Sieur de Bourgmont, who was also the first European to explore the lower Missouri River. In 1854, when Kansas was opened to Euro-American settlement, the Missouri-Kansas border became the first battlefield in the conflict in the American Civil War. The Santa Fe and Oregon trails ran through the area. The area had a major role in the westward expansion of the United States. Kansas City, Missouri was founded in 1838 and surpassed the competing Westport to become the predominant city west of St. This strategic point for commerce and security at the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri Rivers became the Kansas City metropolitan area, straddling the border between Missouri and Kansas. Louis, Missouri moved up the Missouri River to trap for furs and trade with the Native Americans. The history of the Kansas City metropolitan area has records starting in the 19th century, when Frenchmen from St. Kansas City, Missouri, skyline from the Liberty Memorial JSTOR ( April 2022) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message).
Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.įind sources: 'History of the Kansas City metropolitan area' – news Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. This article needs additional citations for verification.
