Kansas-Nebraska Act
In past history, the South had always lost to the North. Whether it was the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, or the Missouri Compromise, they never won. The same happened in 1854. Due to the fact that the west was expanding rapidly, and the transcontinental was soon to be built, things became more complicated. Congress could no longer postpone the decision of whether the land west of Missouri should be free or slave. In January of 1854, a bill was passed that was originally suggested by an Illinoisan Senator. Steven Douglas suggested that the territory be split in two, the Kansas Territory and the Nebraska Territory. He said that the people living in these lands should themselves vote for whether or not they wished to be a slavery-allowing region or not. Since he wanted to become president, he hoped that since the people would be making their own decision, that he would be well liked. To the people of Missouri, it seemed obvious that there would be one slave state and one free state. However, since the North objected with the reason of the territories being above the Missouri Compromise Line, popular sovereignty became the solution.
Quickly, people from the south and from the north came to fill the lands-if only temporarily- to be able to vote on whether it should be a slave state or a free state. Kansas was voted on being a slave territory. When Kansas applied to become a state, it was rejected because it was above the Missouri Compromise line. The anti-slavery party quickly took hold-actually, it created another government so Kansas was ruled by two polarized governments. Both claimed authority to take over federal buildings and such. Congress would only let Kansas and Nebraska become states if they were free.
John Brown was soon fed up with the war, and decided to go down south and attack Harper’s Ferry. He attacked Kansas multiple times, wiped out the pro-slavery army, and performed the Pottawatomie Massacre, which killed 5 men. These are all examples of attacks that happened during this unbalanced period of time in Kansas. It got so violent, that it properly earned the name “Bleeding Kansas.”
After Kansas recovered, they and Nebraska enter the Union as free slaves. However, a new political party, the Republican Party, was created by people who opposed the new bill and were anti-slavery. Stephen Douglas did not become president, and lost to Abraham Lincoln. Once again did the south not win, and have to lose to the mighty north.
Quickly, people from the south and from the north came to fill the lands-if only temporarily- to be able to vote on whether it should be a slave state or a free state. Kansas was voted on being a slave territory. When Kansas applied to become a state, it was rejected because it was above the Missouri Compromise line. The anti-slavery party quickly took hold-actually, it created another government so Kansas was ruled by two polarized governments. Both claimed authority to take over federal buildings and such. Congress would only let Kansas and Nebraska become states if they were free.
John Brown was soon fed up with the war, and decided to go down south and attack Harper’s Ferry. He attacked Kansas multiple times, wiped out the pro-slavery army, and performed the Pottawatomie Massacre, which killed 5 men. These are all examples of attacks that happened during this unbalanced period of time in Kansas. It got so violent, that it properly earned the name “Bleeding Kansas.”
After Kansas recovered, they and Nebraska enter the Union as free slaves. However, a new political party, the Republican Party, was created by people who opposed the new bill and were anti-slavery. Stephen Douglas did not become president, and lost to Abraham Lincoln. Once again did the south not win, and have to lose to the mighty north.