Shawnee County
| Shawnee County, Kansas | |
|---|---|
| County | |
 Location in the U.S. state of Kansas |
|
 Kansas's location in the U.S. |
|
| Founded | August 25, 1855 |
| Named for | Shawnee people |
| Seat | Topeka |
| Largest city | Topeka |
| Area | |
| • Total | 556 sq mi (1,440 km2) |
| • Land | 544 sq mi (1,409 km2) |
| • Water | 12 sq mi (31 km2), 2.1% |
| Population (est.) | |
| • (2016) | 178,146 |
| • Density | 327/sq mi (126/km²) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
| Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
| Website | snco.us |
Shawnee County (county code SN) is a county located in northeast Kansas, in the central United States of America. As of the 2010 census, the population was 177,934 making it the third-most populous county in Kansas. Its most populous city, Topeka, is the state capital and county seat. The county was one of the original 33 counties created by the first territorial legislature in 1855, and it was named for the Shawnee tribe of Native Americans.
For many millennia, the Great Plains of North America was inhabited by nomadic Native Americans. From the 16th century to 18th century, the Kingdom of France claimed ownership of large parts of North America. In 1762, after the French and Indian War, France secretly ceded New France to Spain, per the Treaty of Fontainebleau.
In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France, but keeping title to about 7,500 square miles. In 1803, most of the land for modern day Kansas was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mile Louisiana Purchase for 2.83 cents per acre.
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Wikipedia