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Charles Curtis of Kansas

        Charles Curtis, was born January 25, 1860, in Eugene (now known as North Topeka), US Kansas Territory (his mother was a quarter-blood Kansa /Osage Indian so he was one eighth each of Kansa Indian, of Osage Indian, of Potawatomi Indian, including 1/8th French) who was the 31st VICE-PRESIDENT of the United States (1929-1932), President Herbert Hoover.
       Charles Curtis was half American-English, and he was one-eighth each of Kansa Indian, of Osage Indian, of Potawatomi Indian, including 1/8th French, but he never forgot his Indian heritage.   He was the head of, or was on every Indian committee in Congress.   His nicknames were "Indian",  "Chief", "Egghead", "Square Shooter", "The Whisperer", and "Charley" but he didn't mind.  If he was asked about it, he would tell you that he was one-eighth Indian, but 100% Republican.  At the time, he thought he himself was only 1/8th Indian, but with further genealogy studies, that statement was really incorrect, as shown his heritage above.   He could speak French, English and Kansa Indian.  On his daughters birth certificates, both obtained from the Kansas Vital Statistics, he is stated as "white".

       After studying law with a Topeka attorney, Charles Curtis was admitted to the bar in 1881.
       From 1885 to 1889. he was attorney for Shawnee county, Topeka, Kansas.
       A conservative Republican lawyer from Kansas, Charles Curtis was elected (1893-1907) to the U.S. House of Representatives.
       In January 1907, Curtis was chosen by the State Legislature to fill an unexpired term in the U. S  Senate.  He was then elected for the 1907-1913 term.
       After being defeated for reelection in 1912, he won the nomination from Senator Joseph L. Bristow in 1914 and was elected to three more terms.
       Some of his major concerns in government were, Indian rights, farmer's rights and women's rights.   His own  quotes on these are in his political acceptance speech for Vice-President, for more information, read more about this under Politics.
       In 1924, Charles Curtis tried a run for the Presidency, but did not make it because a Kansas representative, Minnie Grinstead was asked to vote against him and when he lost she would receive the Vice-President nomination, but the Vice Presidency would be in name only for her.
       In 1928, Herbert Clark Hoover, the Republican presidential candidate, chose Charles Curtis as his vice presidential running mate.  Charles Curtis had actually wanted be THE President but the rest of the nominating committee didn't agree (he actually was on the first ballot for the presidency but did not have enough ballots), so he agreed to run as the Vice-President instead for Herbert Hoover.
       They won overwhelmingly, but four years later, (after the start of the great Depression of 1929) the same team was badly defeated by the Democratic candidates, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and John Nance Garner.
       Because Herbert Hoover and Charles Curtis happened to be the President and Vice-President at the beginning and continuing Great Depression, the people felt that the President and Vice-President had caused it so the people voted for another Presidential team.
       Charles Curtis died in of a heart attack, in the morning, alone, at his home, in Washington  D.C. on Feb. 8, 1936.

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Web Site History/the designer

Timeline A:  The Indians in Kansas

Timeline B :  The timelines of Kansas and the USA

Timeline C -  Major events and Famous Firsts

Biography A :  Charles Curtis and his extended family genealogy.

Biography B :  Charles Curtis (before going into Politics)

Politics  and Beliefs of Charles Curtis

Legacy   left by Charles Curtis

Memorials  and donations

Charles Curtis home in Topeka, Kansas

Signature Bldg.  New Kansas State Office Building named for Charles Curtis

Resources  and recommended books for reading.

Updated Jan 04, 2010

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