Territorial Kansas

Territorial Kansas refers to the period between 1854 and 1861 when Kansas was a U.S. territory before becoming a state. It was marked by intense conflict over whether it would be a free or slave state, stemming from the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854. This law allowed settlers to decide on slavery through popular sovereignty. The clashes between pro-slavery and anti-slavery groups, known as "Bleeding Kansas," highlighted the nation's divisive issues leading up to the Civil War. Ultimately, Kansas entered the Union as a free state in 1861, reflecting the result of these tumultuous struggles.