Abstract:
Henry David Thoreau, that pre-modern lover of individualism, noted, "Eastward I go only by force. But westward I go free." This statement is truly symbolic of the life of Kansan Albert Robinson Greene, who, along with his abolitionist parents, followed the western migration of Americans beginning in 1822. The independence Greene envisioned came in the form of settlement in the Kansas Territory, but the Civil War interrupted his plans and permanently reshaped his ideals. Although the myth continues to exist that preCivil
War Kansas was primarily settled by anti-slavery groups, a different image of the pioneer emerges when studying the motivations of younger settlers like Greene.
This thesis, therefore, analyzes the perspective of Albert Robinson Greene, who came to Kansas in 1857 at the age of fifteen, and his life and career span the duration of the frontier from beginning to end. Although the abolitionist influence was not as strong in Kansas as once popularly believed, historians now acknowledge that abolitionists, irrespective of ideology, made decisions in the same manner as other groups. Greene's experience, therefore, dispels pre-Civil War mythology concerning the abolitionist influence in Kansas. Greene's biography, when superimposed on a Plains background, emphasizes this pattern. He came from an anti-slavery background, but he based his decisions on survival and self-interested behavior. While keeping in mind early influences on Greene, this thesis will also specifically address his ideas concerning pre-Civil War
conflict in Kansas, his service in the Ninth Volunteer Kansas Cavalry during the war, and his role in the settling of Indian Territory.
Greene never became famous, never achieved any great feat, nor was he involved in any world swaying decisions. His life, however, reflects a unique mentality concerning nineteenth and twentieth century settlement and life on the frontier. Greene, like many others, made important decisions based on self-interest and the availability of accurate information. Greene, therefore, makes a superb specimen for study by examining his diaries, manuscripts, and the events and influences which had an impact on his life.
