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Admit Me Free Flag

Admit Me Free flag

People all over the United States thought the future of slavery depended on Kansas. "Admit Me Free" flags showed support for a free-state (anti-slavery) Kansas. This one flew over a Pennsylvania rally in 1856.

Flags and banners often become part of political campaigns. In the presidential elections of 1856 and 1860, the issue of Kansas statehood was prominent. Flags stating "Admit Me Free" were used by the Republican candidates, John C. Frémont and Abraham Lincoln, indicating their support for a free-state Kansas.

This flag originally was used in a Republican campaign rally for Frémont in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1856. Four years later it was used at a rally for Lincoln. The flag currently is on display in the main gallery of the Kansas Museum of History.

Explore Bleeding Kansas through the online exhibit, Willing to Die for Freedom: A Look Back at Kansas Territory.

Entry: Admit Me Free Flag

Author: Kansas Historical Society

Author information: The Kansas Historical Society is a state agency charged with actively safeguarding and sharing the state's history.

Date Created: October 2003

Date Modified: July 2017

The author of this article is solely responsible for its content.