Charles Curtis

In His Own Words Charles Curtis

An abandoned manuscript from the Kansas State Historical Museum Archives, donated in 1968, appears to be a never published autobiography of Charles Curtis, Kansas Congressman, Senator and Vice President of the United States. Charles Curtis is the first person from Kansas and the first person of significant Native American heritage to rise into the the highest offices of America's government. Charles was raised by two sets of grandparents. The Pappans were of high status within the Kanza and Osage Native American tribes. The Curtis family were descendants of passengers on the good ship Elizabeth arriving on the shores of New England in 1631. Which life would Indian Charley choose?This is the unabridged version of a manuscript that is stored in the Kansas State Historical Museum Archives. It was never published. An abridged version, with illustrations and shortened to be of interest to younger or general interest readers, is titled Racing: Indian Style. It is available through Ingram Publishing.