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On May 30, 1854 the areas of Nebraska and Kansas were territories that wanted to become states. Only one thing had to be decided. Would they be slave or free? Steven Douglas said it would be decided on by popular sovereignty. That means the popular vote of people living in Kansas and Nebraska would decide. People from antislavery and proslavery parties flocked to Kansas and Nebraska. Soon a series of battles called "Bloody Kansas" would break out.
Kansas Fever "Kansas Fever" was sweeping over the country. It was the mid 1850’s and people from the north and south were flocking to Kansas. Steven Douglas simply swept away the Missouri Compromise with the Kansas-Nebraska Act. The Missouri Compromise was an attempt to keep slavery from expanding. Now in Douglas’ desire to be President, slavery had the opportunity to expand now that people could vote on it. When people from Missouri voted in Kansas, the proslavery party won control and Kansas was voted to become a slave state. Soon Kansas asked Congress for Statehood. Congress refused because since Kansas was north of Missouri it could not be a slave state. While the proslavery party was stunned, the antislavery party quickly took control of Kansas. Now there was a worry. A lot of antislavery people had moved to a party call the Democratic Party. Now they might be denied Statehood. When they requested Statehood, Congress agreed and Kansas and Nebraska both became free states. Bloody Kansas While this political battle was happening, a real battle was being fought.
The antislavery party was fighting for control of Kansas, so they could vote for
it to become a free state. Led by John Brown, the
Antislavery Army wiped out the proslavery troops. One very famous battle was the
In Steven Douglas’ mad desire for Presidency the entire nation went mad over Kansas. Steven Douglas’ thoughts were all based around becoming the President, and he forgot how mad people in the north were at the south and how much the south hated the north. He didn’t stop and think what would happen if he angered the two, the answer was a Civil War. As the Kansas-Nebraska Act ended the peace created by the Missouri Compromise, antislavery and proslavery supporters fought and fought over whether Kansas would be a slave state or a free state. The Kansas-Nebraska Act caused the Civil War, partly, while it also caused a war of its own called "Bloody Kansas." As soon as it was over, Kansas and Nebraska both became free states. |
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Pottawatomie Massacre. John Brown and his men killed 5 settlers at the
Pottawatomie River. This act was part of "Bloody Kansas."