Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854

Introduction

• Opened a vast new area of American heartland for settlement.
• Sparked potential spread of slavery.
• Ignited a firestorm leading to the Civil War.

Background

• Territory acquired from the French 50 years earlier via the Louisiana Purchase.
• Initially set aside for Native Americans, closed to white settlement.
• Business interests eyed the area for building a Transcontinental Railroad.
• Native American rights were rescinded.

Key Figures

• Stephen A. Douglas: Senator from Illinois, prominent political figure of the 1850s.
  • Introduced a bill to organize the region into two territories, Kansas and Nebraska.
  • Supported by Southern Democrats under the condition that slavery could be a possibility.

Popular Sovereignty

• Concept developed by Stephen A. Douglas.
• Allowed people of the territories to decide whether or not to allow slavery.

Impact of the Act

• Overturned the Missouri Compromise of 1820.
  • Missouri Compromise had banned slavery north of latitude 36:30.
• Destabilized the territorial question understandings.
• Resulted in "Bleeding Kansas."

Bleeding Kansas

• Name for the outbreak of violence in Kansas due to the Act.
• Civil war began in Kansas between pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces.
• Unclear who would decide the issue—first settlers, anti-slavery settlers, or pro-slavery settlers from Missouri.
• Pro-slavery settlers often crossed from Missouri to vote and violently counter anti-slavery settlers.
• By 1858, clashes resulted in 200 deaths.

Long-term Effects

• Violence in Kansas foreshadowed the Civil War.
• The Civil War (1861-1865) eventually claimed 200,000 lives.