Kansas became the 34th state of the Union on January 29, 1861! It’s named for the Kansa tribe, but you can also call it The Sunflower State! Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita! Kansas’ state motto is Ad astra per aspera, which means “To the stars through difficulties!” This state is famous as the home of Dorothy Gale, the Scopes Monkey Trial, the Dodge City cattle drives, Fort Leavenworth, and the site of the court battle Brown v. Board of Education!