Editing Kansas Territory (section)

=== Pro-slavery settlers ===
Within a few days after the passage of the Kansas–Nebraska Act, hundreds of Missourians crossed into the adjacent territory, selected a section of land, and then united with fellow-adventurers in a meeting or meetings, intending to establish a pro-slavery [[Preemption Act of 1841|preemption]] upon all this region.

As early as June 10, 1854, the Missourians held a meeting at Salt Creek Valley, a trading post {{convert|3|mi|km|0}} west from [[Fort Leavenworth, Kansas|Fort Leavenworth]], at which a "Squatter's Claim Association" was organized. They said they were in favor of making Kansas a slave state if it should require half the citizens of Missouri, musket in hand, to emigrate there. According to these emigrants, [[Abolitionism in the United States|abolitionists]] would do well not to stop in Kansas Territory, but keep on up the Missouri River until they reach [[Nebraska Territory]], which was anticipated to be a free state. Before the first arrival of Free-State emigrants from the northern and eastern States, nearly every desirable location along the Missouri River had been claimed by men from western Missouri, by virtue of the [[Preemption Act of 1841|preemption laws]].