How did the quilt block Kansas Troubles get its name?

Answer 1

The original Kansas Troubles quilt was created in 1850 during the period when Kansas was petitioning to become the 34th state in the union. The "troubles" related to whether Kansas would choose to be a slave-holding state or a "free" state. Northern and southern politicians engaged in terrorist activities in their efforts to swing the vote; for a time, the territory was called "Bleeding Kansas." (Kansas ultimately chose to enter as a free state.) Although the quilt style we call Kansas Troubles arose during this period, the name was not applied to it until well afterwards. The first printed mention was in 1890. The defining pattern of the style is a series of triangles that "rotate" from block to block.