Feb. 4: Sitting on the Fence: Living in Bleeding Kansas between the Factions. Feb. 11: John Brown, Man of Action. Feb. 18: A Monopoly on Misfortune: An Immigrant Regiment in the Crucible of Civil War.

Abolitionist John Brown wasn't born in Kansas, but made his mark during the Bleeding Kansas era before the Civil War. Today, 165 years after his execution, Brown's violent acts and influence are ...