PER ASPERA
Welcome to Per Aspera, a Kansas history podcast from the Kansas 250 Commission.
This season, to commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence, we’re telling stories about the people and places of Kansas that connect to themes in the Declaration of Independence.
What the Declaration Promised and What Kansas Made of It.
To the Stars Through Difficulty
On July 4, 1776, representatives of thirteen colonies declared that “all men are created equal,” that all possess the rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” and that government derives its authority from “the consent of the governed.” The ideals were clear. Living them has never been simple.
Kansas’s state motto, Ad Astra Per Aspera - “To the stars through difficulty” - captures that tension. For this podcast, the key word is per: THROUGH. Through disagreement over consent. Through conflicts between liberty and equality. Through laws that upheld injustice … and the movements that challenged them.
Per Aspera: A Kansas History Podcast, from the Kansas 250th Commission, explores how Kansans have wrestled with the unfinished revolution of 1776, testing American ideals in moments of crisis, conflict, and change.
Listen on your favorite podcast app
The American Revolution did not end in 1776. Its principles of equality, liberty, and self-government have required continuous interpretation, defense, and revision. The questions embedded in the Declaration of Independence remain urgent: What happens when the governed do not agree? When one person’s pursuit of happiness limits another’s liberty? When law itself enshrines inequality?
Kansas has often stood at the center of these debates. From the violence of the territorial era to early advances in women’s political rights, from battles over public education to struggles over civil rights, the state has repeatedly served as a proving ground for national principles. These were not abstract disputes. They unfolded in courthouses, convention halls, farms, schools, and streets - shaping both Kansas and the country.
Created by the Kansas 250th Commission in commemoration of the American semiquincentennial, Per Aspera tells focused, narrative-driven stories drawn from pivotal moments in Kansas history. Each episode connects state history to one or more of the Declaration’s enduring themes, revealing how Kansans confronted crisis, contested power, and sought pathways forward.
Two and a half centuries after independence, the American experiment remains unfinished. This series examines how Kansas has helped define - and redefine - what that experiment means.