Kansas Nebraska Act Of 1854 Summary

Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 Throughout the ideas of sectionalism within the Northern and Southern states, The

Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 has caused a division within borders, paved the way for the issue of slavery to increase, and the result of Bleeding Kansas. The issue between the borders had to be resolved, as to the decision of Kansas becoming a free or slave state. President Abraham Lincoln spoke out against the idea, “Lincoln laid out his objections to the Act and resurrected his political career in a brilliant speech at Peoria on October 16, 1854”. (Monroe, R.D.) Lincoln also wondered how it was morally right to treat people based off of popular vote, “Lincoln criticized popular sovereignty, questioning how it was that this doctrine

As stated by Northern Illinois University, “In that act Illinois' Democratic Senator Stephen A. Douglas had attempted to organize the vast Nebraska territory for settlement and the passage of a transcontinental railroad”.(Monroe, R.D.) Unfortunately, Nebraska lands belonged to Indians, and was identified as a desert. Knowing the situation, Douglas proposed the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, Northern Illinois University said, “Douglas framed the bill with the idea that the people of Nebraska and Kansas should decide for themselves whether they wished to permit slavery, a doctrine he called "popular sovereignty."”(Monroe, R.D.) Douglas wanted to expand the north, but it created many issues for the Northern and Southern states. As stated by Northern Illinois University, “The railroad became a sectional issue, with South and North competing for its terminus”. (Monroe,

As proposed by Wichita State University, “Settlers from both northern and southern states flocked to the region, in part to create pro- or anti-slavery groups large enough to shape the statehood process”(Price, Jay), which influenced the idea of sectionalism through the U.S.. Slavery became economic, and less about every man’s equal right. Stated by Wichita State University, “A community that considered itself "pro-slavery" was connected culturally to the southern United States. A community that adopted an "anti-slavery" or "Free-soil" tone connected itself to the northern United States”.(Price, Jay) Many citizens who were loyal to their section of the country, referred to as “Sectionalism”, wanted to be heard and wanted to react in other ways to bring attention among themselves. Wichita State University states, “The tensions between pro-and anti-slavery forces flared into violence as individuals from one side raided communities of the other”.(Price, Jay) There wasn’t a way to end slavery, but to only make it worse in making the decision for other people’s