What did the Kansas-Nebraska Act allow?

The Kansas-Nebraska Act, enacted in 1854, introduced the concept of popular sovereignty regarding the issue of slavery in the newly created territories of Kansas and Nebraska. This means that the settlers in those territories were granted the power to decide for themselves if they would allow slavery or not, rather than having a federal mandate dictate the terms.

This act was significant because it effectively nullified the Missouri Compromise, which had previously restricted slavery in certain areas. By allowing the settlers to vote on whether to permit slavery, the Kansas-Nebraska Act highlighted the contentious and polarizing nature of the slavery debate in the United States at that time. It led to violent confrontations in Kansas, known as "Bloody Kansas," as pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions clashed over the issue. Thus, the act played a crucial role in escalating tensions that would eventually lead to the Civil War.