The Kansas-Nebraska Act

The Kansas-Nebraska Act was created with many intentions, building a railroad, but starting a “Border War” was not one of these intentions.

The Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed on May 30, 1854, signed by president at the time, Franklin Pierce, but it was first suggested by Stephen A. Douglas, an Illinois politician. Douglas wanted to ensure a transcontinental railroad, which would run through the Nebraska territory, so he brought up the idea of organizing the Nebraska territory in order to bring it under civil control to the senate. The senators from the south objected the idea, knowing that the states would become free states.

Why would the states become free ones? This is because of the Missouri Compromise, passed in 1820. This bill stated that states above the latitude 36,30, which the territory was above would become free states and those below would become slave states. Douglas wasn’t so keen on giving up yet though, to try to appeal to the southern members of senate, he pitched the idea of allowing popular sovereignty (popular sovereignty is when the people vote on a certain decision) decide whether the new states would be free or slave states. The president, Franklin Pierce encouraged and signed the bill, but this decision wasn’t entirely supported, especially by northerners.

News of the Kansas-Nebraska Act spread, and both northerners and southerners from out of the territory hurried into the territory and voted on whether Kansas would become a free or slave state. Northerners generally voting for the state to be free, and the opposite for the south. The popular vote was in the favor of Kansas becoming a slave state, but the pro-slavery voters were accused of fraud by anti-slavery voters, and their votes did not count towards the final decision. Another election was held, but pro-slavery settlers refused to vote, which left the state with many people who strongly supported slavery, and many people who strongly opposed it, and the tension and violence grew.

By the time Kansas finally became a state, a Border War known as Bleeding Kansas had started and 8 states had already succeeded from the Union.

Citations-

"The History Place - Abraham Lincoln: Kansas-Nebraska Act." The History Place - Abraham Lincoln: Kansas-Nebraska Act. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2016.

"Kansas-Nebraska Act." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2016.

"The Kansas-Nebraska Act." Ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association, n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2016.