History quiz

Which event between 1819 and 1860 do you think contributed most to this growing division?

The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854

The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 was a major event that contributed to the growing division between the North and the South in the United States. The act allowed for the creation of two new territories, Kansas and Nebraska, and it repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820, which had prohibited slavery in the northern part of the Louisiana Territory. This led to a wave of settlers moving into the new territories, both pro-slavery and anti-slavery, and to increasing conflict between the two sides. The Kansas-Nebraska Act also contributed to the rise of the Republican Party, which was opposed to the expansion of slavery. The party's first national convention was held in 1854, and it went on to win control of the House of Representatives in 1856. The Kansas-Nebraska Act was thus a major factor in the growing tensions between the North and the South, which eventually led to the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861.

Here are some of the specific events that occurred as a result of the Kansas-Nebraska Act:

* The Kansas Territory became a battleground between pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces. There were numerous clashes between the two sides, including the Pottawatomie Massacre of 1856, in which five anti-slavery settlers were killed.

* The violence in Kansas led to the creation of the Free State Party, which was opposed to the extension of slavery into the territory. The Free State Party won control of the Kansas legislature in 1857, but the pro-slavery governor refused to recognize its authority.

* The conflict in Kansas also led to the rise of John Brown, an abolitionist who led a raid on the pro-slavery town of Harpers Ferry in 1859. Brown's raid was unsuccessful, but it further increased tensions between the North and the South.

The Kansas-Nebraska Act was a major turning point in the history of the United States. It helped to create a schism between the North and the South that could not be bridged. The events that followed the act's passage ultimately led to the outbreak of the Civil War.