1850s United States politics

In the 1850s, U.S. politics was dominated by the contentious issue of slavery. The decade saw rising tensions between the North, where many opposed slavery, and the South, where it was integral to the economy. Key events included the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which allowed states to decide on slavery, leading to violent conflicts known as "Bleeding Kansas." The decade also saw the emergence of the Republican Party, opposing the expansion of slavery, and the Supreme Court's Dred Scott decision, which heightened divisions. These factors set the stage for the Civil War in the 1860s, as the nation's unity crumbled over the slavery issue.