How did bleeding kansas lead to the civil war?

Bleeding Kansas was a period of violence in the Kansas Territory that occurred between 1854 and 1858. It was caused by the issue of slavery and whether the territory would become a free state or a slave state. The violence led to the deaths of hundreds of people and eventually helped to bring about the Civil War.

The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854

The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 was a controversial piece of legislation that repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820. The Missouri Compromise had established the 36°30' north parallel as the dividing line between free and slave states. The Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed the people of the Kansas Territory to decide for themselves whether they would be a free state or a slave state.

The Struggle for Kansas

The Kansas-Nebraska Act led to a great deal of violence in the Kansas Territory. Pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers poured into the territory, each side hoping to sway the vote in their favor. The violence quickly escalated, and the territory became known as "Bleeding Kansas."

The Lecompton Constitution

In 1857, the pro-slavery legislature in Kansas drafted a constitution that would have allowed slavery in the territory. The constitution was very unpopular, and it was rejected by voters. The rejection of the Lecompton Constitution led to even more violence in Kansas.

The Civil War

The violence in Kansas was a microcosm of the larger struggle over slavery that was taking place in the United States. The Civil War began in 1861, and it was fought over the issue of slavery. The war lasted for four years and ended with the abolition of slavery.