1854

Kansas-Nebraska Act

 * This act created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska
 * The bill was proposed by Stephen A Douglas.
 * This act applied the principle of **popular sovereignty** to voters in the Kansas and Nebraska territories, allowing them to decide for themselves whether to permit slavery in their territories.
 * This act repudiates the Missouri Compromise of 1820
 * And hence, the Northerners were infuriated by this Act as it permitted slavery onto previously prohibited territory.
 * Whigs died out and the Democrats split into two.

SO HOW WAS THIS A CAUSE OF THE CIVIL WAR?

**Congressional Election of 1854**
 * Democrats became the only Southern party
 * Free Soil Party became stronger and became Republicans
 * Parties in order of greatest number of representatives to least: Democratic Party, Whig Party, Republican Party, American Party, Other

SO HOW WAS THIS A CAUSE OF THE CIVIL WAR?

Anthony Burns case Anti-Nebraska American party surges - Know-Nothings