Exodusters
"Kansas with her freedom and broad prairies, with the memories of John Brown and his heroic struggle, seems naturally the State to seek.” - George T. Ruby, New Orleans Weekly Louisianian, April 26, 1879
The Great Exodus of 1879 was a mass movement of African Americans from the Southern United States to Kansas. The Kansas Exodus was the first general migration of African Americans following the Civil War. 20,000 freed slaves (known as Exodusters) flowed into Kansas between 1879 and 1880.

Spend a day on the Wetlands and Wildlife National Scenic Byway as you trace the Exoduster migration and settlement in Barton and Stafford Counties. The tour will take you to local cemeteries, museums and memorials to experience the stories of Exodusters and Civil War veterans. 

To view the Exoduster Brochure for the complete story and additional information, download the Exodusters publication and print the itinerary.