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Key Economic Issues That Divided The Nation In The 1850's

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The key economic issue that divided the nation in the 1850s was slave labor and expansion. At this time in U.S. history, the western frontier was beginning to admit states into the Union. The states were admitted based on popular sovereignty. Northerners feared that this would be an advantage for wealthy slave owners. White northerners argued that slavery was not conducive with free white labor and wealthy slave owners would dominate, as they did in the south. The Kansas-Nebraska Act was a very critical issue that helped divide the nation. At the center of this act was slavery. Under the Kansas and Nebraska Act, slavery was decided based on popular sovereignty. Northerners felt like this undermined the Missouri Compromise, further creating
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The Kansas- Nebraska Act allowed divided western land into the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to choose the issue of slavery by popular sovereignty. This increased sectional tensions because the South wanted to build a southern railroad, as it would increase economic growth. Also, the North was upset because of the possibility of the expansion of slavery into western territories. Also, on the day of voting, border ruffians came from Missouri to vote in support of slavery. This greatly upset the North, especially the free-soilers.

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Have you ever wondered how we founded Kansas and Nebraska into America? Well it wasn’t as easy as just finding it and claiming it, it took a lot of controversy over slavery. The Nebraska Act was the one who really started a major argument over slavery and whether or not it should be in those states. The Kansas-Nebraska Act was important, it was significant to American History, and it led to the Civil War. The Kansas-Nebraska Act was significant to American history because it caused another party to form, and it led to the Civil War because it had split up the Union.

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In the late nineteenth century, the North and the South were sharply divided in terms of lifestyle, economical strengths and weaknesses, morals, and political viewpoints. There were many issues that were heatedly debated at the time; slavery, education, industrial expansion, and the rights of freed African Americans. The economy varied hugely depending on the region. In the North, factories fed the economy, and it was full of booming cities. The South however was dependent on "King Cotton," a crop which was almost entirely dependent on slave labor.

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Many of the political events lead us into battles, like the Kansas-Nebraska Act during 1854. Senator Stephen Douglass, had thought that popular sovereignty seemed liked an excellent way to decide whether slavery would be allowed in Nebraska Territory. Douglas introduced a bill in congress on January 23, 1854 that would divide the area into two territories. Nebraska is in the north and Kansas is in the south, since the Kansas and Nebraska territory lay north of the Missouri Compromise line of 36°30’ and thereof it was legally closed to slavery. Kansas and Nebraska Act became a law in 1854.

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In 1854, the Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed, making the decision of whether or not the Western states’ would have allow slavery based off of popular sovereignty. The act gave hope to southerners to expand slavery but angered the anti-slavery northerners. The act pitted anti-slavery and pro-slavery forces against each other for control of the new territories. To increase the numbers of anti-slavery, the northerners formed a company to help anti-slavery families move to the new territories. Pro-slavery forced did the same thing to counter what the north was trying to do.

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Moreover, there was much trouble in Kansas such as the Kansas-Nebraska Act. The Kansas-Nebraska Act stated that two states, Kansas and Nebraska would be made up out of what was left of the Louisiana Purchase. These two territories could decide if they about slavery. Later, the people of Kansas wanted to separate their state into antislavery and pro-slavery groups. In March of 1855, elections for this idea began.

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The core of the conflict that divided America culturally, politically, and economically was the westward expansion of slavery. A few people wanted to eliminate slavery, while others wanted to expand slavery throughout the nation. The strong opposing sides caused a movement towards a Civil War among the free states and the slave states. Many believed that slavery was the only way the nation would succeed.

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Throughout the middle of the 1800s, the unity of the United States was threatened by the possibility of traveling closer to dividing into two separate countries. Disputes between the North and South grew as they disagreed on the allowance of slavery in the United States. The North strongly believed that slavery was immoral and should be abolished, whereas, the economy of the South greatly depended on the work of slaves in the cotton industry. After many years of compromises dealing with popular sovereignty among the states, a few key events led to the inevitable disunion of the United States. The passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the decision in the Dred Scott case led to disunion because they resulted in disagreements between the North

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Slavery was one of the biggest problems between 1820 and 1860. Sometimes two states had to be added to the Union at the same time, to make things fair. The North and the South fought almost constantly over the issue of slavery, sometimes things were able to be worked out about it, but as the years passed, the problems with slavery and territory started to become too big to ignore or

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Additionally, vital political actions carried out by the federal government during the 1850s, led to more division between abolitionists and proslavery Southerners, as the decisions were more one-sided. Major events leading to this war included the Compromise of 1850, introduced by Henry Clay, who intended to unite the North and South, preventing secession, which John Calhoun strongly encouraged. However, the set of laws passed within Clay’s compromise led to more territorial conflict in the west. Next, the Kansas Nebraska Act of 1854 was written by Stephen A. Douglas, who wanted to organize the territory of Nebraska. However, the act resulted in the outbreak of extreme fight and bloodshed in the border of Kansas, because of popular sovereignty and the Missouri Compromise being repealed.

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The issue of slavery was a crucial factor in the North and South going to war in 1861 because those in the Southern states had relied on agrarian methods to maintain their livelihood such as tobacco, sugar and cotton. Southern cotton plantations held global dominance in the industry due to their unmatched efficiency and the use of slaves maximised profits. However, slavery cannot be seen as solely responsible for the North and South’s war in 1861. A key attributing factor was sectionalism, which led to secession and conflict following the rapid territorial expansion in the United States during 1846 to 1854; states had different agendas, environmental circumstances and beliefs regarding their rights. This was a key issue stemming from the formation

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The Missouri Compromise included the 36 30 line to split the slave states and the non-slave states(Missouri was- at the time- the only exception to this rule). Both sides were seemingly happy with the Missouri Compromise until the newly gained Mexican territory was added into the equation. The Great Compromise was made to settle which areas of land would allow slavery and had objections on both sides. New states such as California (which were extensive and split down the width of the country) did not become slave states, but it gave the Southern slave states a chance to be even more harsh towards their slaves and push against the North for more control. The Kansas-Nebraska Act favored the South over the North because the 36 30 line was erased to make room for popular sovereignty, giving the South the chance to influence the new states to become pro-slavery.

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The Kansas-Nebraska act was passed in 1854. The residents of those states had to decide whether it allow slavery or abolish it. Democratic senator Stephen Douglas from Illinois came up with this idea he called it popular sovereignty. This came into conflict with the

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Slavery was a big issue in the 1800s. It divided the country into an argument between having slavery or not having slavery. It also made a conflict between the north and south and they could not agree on it. Some wanted to keep it, some wanted to get rid of it. The states would argue and they could not come up with a compromise.

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They became both pivotal moments in history, in law, and in the direction of American society, with which Lincoln, as a lawyer, was already immersed and passionate about. This is what gave him the motivation and incentive(in some measure) to get back into the game of politics with which he had contended for so long. McGovern says that “Along with many others, Lincoln was thundersruck and astounded when the new law [i.e. the Nebraska Act] was enacted... he feared there was a real danger that slavery would spread, perhaps rapidly, and he could no longer stnad by (37).” After all, if Kansas-Nebraska were to be separated in two, leaving it completely up to the newly formed states whether or not they would allow for slavery on their premises (36).

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