The First Kansas Territorial Legislature, which met in 1855, was called the "Bogus Legislature” by the Free-State Kansas men. Andrew H. Reeder was appointed as the first Territorial Governor on June, 1854 by President Franklin Pierce. However, he would not arrive in Kansas until October, 1854. After making a tour of of the state, Governor Reeder issued a proclamation that called for the first election to be held on November 29, 1854 to choose a delegate to Congress from Kansas.

Many Kansans of the time took little interest in the election; but that was not the case in Missouri. The night before the election, numerous pro-slavery advocates from Missouri crossed the border into Kansas and the next day, often outnumbered the legal voters at many of the voting precincts.

The pro-slavery candidate, John W. Whitfield, received 2,258 out of 2,905 votes cast, but in precincts giving him the largest majority, his vote alone was greater than the number of voters in the respective precincts as shown by the census taken shortly thereafter. Although the Free-State settlers and others having anti-slavery sentiments protested, Whitfield was still allowed to serve as the delegate representing Kansas Territory.

The next election was to choose members of the first Territorial Legislature and was held on March 30, 1855. This election was of prime importance because it was supposed that the Legislature would provide for the holding of a constitutional convention and prescribe rules for the election of delegates. On the election date, nearly 5,000 Missouri men, led by Federal Senator David Atchison and his followers, crossed the territorial border and stuffed the ballot boxes with votes for pro-slavery candidates. Appearing in Lawrence alone, were some 1,000 Missourians, fully armed and leading two cannons loaded with musket balls. The result was that the pro-slavery votes cast showed 5,427 as against 791, although the census taken in January and February showed a voting population of only 2,905.

In the end, 37 out of 38 candidates for the Territorial Legislature were pro-slavery supporters. Free-Staters immediately protested, but it was to no avail. Even Governor Reeder, who was sent to the territory as friendly to the pro-slavery interests, was so outraged at the fraud that he declared the votes void, and called for a new election. However, before that could happen, the new Territorial Legislature quickly convened in Pawnee, on the present-day site of Fort Riley, on July 2, 1855.

The pro-slavery men then ousted all of the Free-State men and petitioned the President to remove Reeder as governor, which was granted. Their final decision was to move the Legislature to Shawnee Mission, as the Pawnee location  was simply to far away from Missouri.