in the north, thayer was credited with helping to make kansas a slave-free state. he was also called a villain by others for having caused the bloodshed and violence that followed sending immigrants to kansas. in the south, the company was often called "eli thayer &amp; co.," and a price was placed on thayer's head in more than one place. in missouri and the south, thayer was charged with the "crime" of making kansas a free state. in 1887, thayer wrote a book "a history of the kansas crusade: its friends and its foes" where he claimed a good deal of the credit for kansas becoming free of slavery.