Kansas-Nebraska Act

The Kansas-Nebraska Act, passed in 1854, was a law that created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, allowing settlers in those territories to decide for themselves whether to allow slavery through popular sovereignty. This effectively repealed the Missouri Compromise, which had previously restricted slavery in that region. The act led to violent conflicts between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers, known as "Bleeding Kansas," highlighting the deep national divisions over slavery and pushing the United States closer to the Civil War.