Here in the United States, we decided a long time ago that slavery is a massively evil violation of people's rights.
But "a long time ago" wasn't always a long time ago, and when the Kansas-Nebraska Act was enacted, "a long time ago" hadn't even happened yet in most of the country.
In America circa 1853, slavery was prohibited in California and above the 36th parallel (except Missouri), but was still permitted in all of the southern states. 1854 and the Kansas-Nebraska Act changed that, repealing the Missouri Compromise that had been in effect since 1820 by allowing the new territories of Nebraska and Kansas to decide for themselves whether to allow slavery.
Questions About Slavery
- What were the North's arguments against slavery? What were the South's arguments in support of it?
- How and why did slavery bring about the birth of the Republican Party?
- What is the Dred Scott case, and how did its ruling further exacerbate the tensions raised by the Kansas-Nebraska Act?
- Compare the Free State Movement of the mid-19th century with the Civil Rights Movement of the mid-20th century. What are their similarities? What are their differences?
Chew on This
Popular sovereignty is what democracy is all about, and this Act was right to leave decisions about slavery to the voters.
Congress should've just smacked down slavery once and for all when they created the Nebraska and Kansas Territories instead of being all vague about it and letting it lead to so much violence.