Kansas Jayhawks

Division 1 Collegiate mascot best known for their storied Basketball program. The term JAYHAWK originated during the border war between Kansas and Missouri starting around 1854. The pro slave state Missouri would often send militias that referred to themselves as "Border Ruffians" into Kansas and particularly into Lawrence Kansas, to murder, burn, rape and pillage. The "Jayhawks" were the Kansas faction that fought back against slavery and pushed the racist Missouri Ruffians back into their pro slavery state. The unofficial leader of the Jayhawks at that time was John Brown, the Missouri unofficial leader was William Quantrill. For more information on the atrocities of Quantrill, look up "Quantrill's Raid," "Missouri Kansas Border war."