Spread of Slavery to Western Territories

Definition

As American settlers moved westward, there was a contentious debate over whether new states and territories should be free or slave-holding. The spread of slavery to western territories was a major issue leading up to the Civil War.

Analogy

Imagine you're playing a board game with your friends, but there's disagreement about how new players should join. Some want them on their team, others don't. That's similar to how people felt about slavery spreading into new territories—it created tension and conflict.

Related terms

Missouri Compromise (1820): This was 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 north of latitude 36°30´.

Compromise of 1850: This series of laws admitted California as a free state but allowed some newly acquired territories to decide for themselves whether they would allow slavery.

Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854): This act allowed people in Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether or not to allow slavery within their borders.