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Kansas-Nebraska Act

Definition

The Kansas-Nebraska Act was a law passed in 1854 that allowed the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to decide whether they would allow slavery within their borders. This decision was to be made through popular sovereignty, or vote by the people living there.

Analogy

Think of the Kansas-Nebraska Act like a school letting students vote on whether they want homework over the weekend. It's giving power to those directly affected by the decision, but it can also lead to heated debates and division among those with differing opinions.

Related terms

Popular Sovereignty: A principle stating that the power of a state or government is created and sustained by the consent of its people, who are the source of all political power.

Bleeding Kansas: A series of violent civil confrontations in Kansas Territory between 1854 and 1861 which emerged from a political and ideological debate over the legality of slavery in the proposed state of Kansas.

Missouri Compromise: An agreement passed in 1820 between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in Congress, involving primarily the regulation of slavery in western territories. It prohibited slavery above latitude 36°30´.