a) The Exodusters

The Exodusters was the name given to the significant African American migration to Kansas in 1879. These former slaves from Southern states sought freedom and opportunity in the West following the end of Reconstruction. The movement was one of the first large migrations of African Americans to the Great Plains and represented their hope for a better life, free from the racial oppression and violence prevalent in the South. The Exodusters’ journey was a key moment in the African American struggle for autonomy and self-determination.