The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 was proposed by Illinois Senator Stephen Douglas to organize the territories of Kansas and Nebraska and repeal the Missouri Compromise, which banned slavery north of latitude 36°30'. This allowed settlers in those territories to determine through popular sovereignty if they would allow slavery. The act led to violent clashes between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers in Kansas, known as "Bleeding Kansas", and contributed to the decline of the Whig party and rise of sectional tensions that eventually caused the Civil War.

1. The Kansas-Nebraska Act By Jeffrey Letourneau, Matt Schamber, and Kevin Flynn

2. Stephen A. Douglas Lawyer from Illinois Expansionist Admirer of Andrew Jackson In 1854, Douglas proposed bill to organize Kansas and Nebraska Wanted to create a transcontinental railroad Create continuous line of settlement from coast to coast

3. Transcontinental Railroad Settle unorganized territory and reach California Would run from Chicago to San Francisco

4. Problems Douglas accurately foresaw two problems with his proposed railroad First, many southerners wanted the railroad to start in Memphis or New Orleans Didn’t want Kansas and Nebraska organized as the Missouri Compromise of 1820 prevented slavery in that region

5. Kansas-Nebraska Act Separated unorganized territory into Kansas and Nebraska Territories Repealed Missouri Compromise Said slavery in the two new states would be determined by popular sovereignty

6. Political Impact The Kansas-Nebraska Act passed and was signed by President Pierce in 1854 However, not a single Whig voted for it, disapproving of the repealing of the Missouri Compromise This led to the end of the second party system, bringing about the death of the Whig party

7. Impact on Slavery The use of popular sovereignty was intended to maintain the balance of slave states and free states Most assumed Nebraska would be a free state and Kansas would be a slave state Because this huge expanse of land could sway the nation in favor of or against slavery, both sides sought to control it

8. Bleeding Kansas Abolitionists rushed into Kansas hoping to sway the vote in favor of abolition Missouri residents known as “border ruffians” crossed the border and voted illegally in support of slavery John Brown, a staunch abolitionist, killed five pro-slavery settlers at the Pottawatomie Massacre Open violence on both sides This violence ended the peace that the Missouri Compromise had brought about, and the small war called “Bloody Kansas” was a prelude to the Civil War

9. Spread of Conflict The future of Kansas was not an issue isolated to the state itself Charles Sumner described the Kansas-Nebraska Act’s repeal of the Missouri Compromise as a “Crime Against Kansas” Attacked by another Congressman

10. Works Cited "Kansas-Nebraska Act." The History Place. 1996. Web. 01 May 2011. <http://www.historyplace.com/lincoln/kansas.htm>. "Kansas-Nebraska Act — Infoplease.com." Infoplease. Web. 01 May 2011. <http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A0827030.html>. "Kansas-Nebraska Act." United States History. Web. 01 May 2011. <http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h83.html>. "Douglas Biography." Stephen A. Douglas Association. Web. 01 May 2011. <http://www.stephenadouglas.org/douglas-biography.html>.