-
Matt Beat, also known as “Mr. Beat,” a Kansas-based youtuber and former history teacher, begins the presentation on historical figures from Kansas. He talked about how they made an impact on Kansas history.
-
Mr. Beat describes how the Civil War began in Kansas before Fort Sumter. He argued that events like the Battle of Black Jack proved that fighting between pro-slavery and anti-slavery groups had already started.
-
Kansas is famous for wheat but it also produces a lot of oil. In the early 1900s, major oil discoveries made Kansas one of the top oil-producing states in the country at that time.
-
Mr. Beat explains Quantrill’s Raid on Lawrence killed men and burned the town during the Civil War. In 1863, Lawrence was under attack during the massacre.
-
Students take photos and talk about the important events that show what makes Kansas special. They focused on moments from the past that shaped the state.
A “Night with Mr. Beat” event was hosted by Washburn Student Government Association on Tuesday, Feb. 17. The program was held in the Kansas Room at Memorial Union from 6-8 p.m. Matt Beat, also known as “Mr. Beat,” a Kansas-based youtuber and former history teacher, spoke about Kansas history and public policy. His talk focused on presidential history and its connections to the state.
The event began with a presentation on Kansas history prepared by Mr. Beat himself. The topics focused on John Brown, early Kansas settlers and explorers, the Kansas–Nebraska act, Paleo-Indians and early settlement in Kansas as well as Bleeding Kansas and the Lawrence massacre.
Mr. Beat explained that Bleeding Kansas was important because it showed how divided the country already was before the Civil War officially began. In Kansas, people who supported slavery and people who were against it were fighting each other. Events like the actions of Brown and the attack on Senator Charles Sumner in Congress proved that the conflict over slavery had become very serious and violent.
“Kansas history, politically puts us in a unique position as a former free state that had a lot of investment in the early Civil War then continuing on to be more progressive and forward looking state has really impacted the current political views of a lot of Kansans and the role that Kansas plays as an actor in modern politics,” said Red Black, law student. “I’m a huge Kansas history buff. So, I was a big fan of learning something new about people from Kansas history and the impacts that Kansas has had on the entire country.”
Tristen Taylor, junior philosophy major, talks about Kansas history, which is taught very early in school in Kansas and it has served as a good refresher on many topics.
“The progressive era in Kansas is really important. I think there’s a lot of stuff that happens in Kansas,” Taylor said. “He didn’t even touch on a lot of the religious stuff that happened in that era, a lot of really big erroneous movements in America start here in Topeka, Kansas. So I think that’s something that more people should know about, because it’s important.”
Malakai Fischer, junior piano performance and psychology major, explained that exploring new subjects helps students think in new ways and challenges their usual way of thinking which can even help the brain grow and change.
“A lot of the topics were refreshers which helped to spark old memories of my learning Kansas history and I do feel a long stronger connection to my home state. I am originally from Robinson, Kansas. I would travel about 10 miles to go to Hiawatha just for public school before moving to Topeka,” Fischer said.
In conclusion, the presentation explained how Kansas history is connected to major events in United States history, especially the conflict over slavery and the Civil War. Matt Beat discussed important events in Kansas and showed how they played a role in shaping the country’s history.
Edited by Stuti Khadka
