The Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 was the creation of Senator Stephen Douglas (D-IL). Its creation of the territories of Nebraska and Kansas and establishment of popular sovereignty in the Kansas territory set in motion a series of events that transformed the sectional debate into violence that spread from the prairies of Kansas and to the floor of the U.S. Senate.
In 1853 a bill was passed in the U.S. House of Representatives that would organize the territory of Kansas and Nebraska. The bill stalled in the U.S. Senate where several senators demanded that slavery be permitted in this territory as a pre-requisite for its passage. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 specifically prohibited slavery in the territory. |
Eyeing the potential for building a future railroad through the territory, when the revived bill reached his committee in 1854 Stephen Douglas, "The Little Giant," proposed applying the principal of popular sovereignty. Popular sovereignty would allow the people of Kansas to determine the fate of slavery in their territory. the only problem was that the Missouri Compromise specifically prohibited slavery north of the 36'30" line. Repealing the Missouri Compromise was necessary. Debate raged in both the Senate and the House of Representatives for over 4 months. Guided in large part by Sen. Douglas and Rep. Alexander Stephens Georgia, the Kansas-Nebraska Act was signed by Pres. Pierce on May 30, 1854. |
"Nebraska is through the House. I took the reins in my hand, applied the whip and spur, and brought the 'wagon' out at eleven o'clock P.M. Glory enough for one day."
- Rep. Alexander Stephens
Primary Sources
Lincoln's "Ancient Faith"
The spark of sectional violence in Kansas and the gathering storm of sectionalism spreading across America are very significant developments stemming from the Kansas-Nebraska Act. However, the result with perhaps the greatest implications on the future of the nation was the re-emergence of a rather forgotten Illinois lawyer by the name of Abraham Lincoln.
Lincoln's Speech at Peoria on October 16, 1854, thrust his name back into the forum of Illinois politics and established the platform for the political philosophy that would guide him to the presidency and throughout the Civil War. Lincoln rejected the repeal of the Missouri Compromise and argued that the principles of the Founding Fathers were clear and could not be overridden by either popular sovereignty or a misguided Congress. ""If the negro is a man, why then my ancient faith teaches me that `all men are created equal;' and that there can be no moral right in connection with one man's making a slave of another."
Lincoln's Speech at Peoria on October 16, 1854, thrust his name back into the forum of Illinois politics and established the platform for the political philosophy that would guide him to the presidency and throughout the Civil War. Lincoln rejected the repeal of the Missouri Compromise and argued that the principles of the Founding Fathers were clear and could not be overridden by either popular sovereignty or a misguided Congress. ""If the negro is a man, why then my ancient faith teaches me that `all men are created equal;' and that there can be no moral right in connection with one man's making a slave of another."
Secondary Sources
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Bleeding Kansas
The divisive and often violent events in Kansas following the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 are collectively referred to as "Bleeding Kansas". The chaos in Kansas included a massive influx of abolitionist Jayhawkers and pro-slavery Border Ruffians. It resulted in the looting and burning of Lawrence, Kansas by Border Ruffians; the brutal murder of 5 pro-slavery settlers by John Brown and sons, and the creation of not one but two territorial governments! The conflict eventually pitted President Pierce versus Congress as the issue of slavery divided Kansas and the branches of government.
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Primary Sources
* * * Discussion Questions * * *
1. How did popular sovereignty not only fail to resolve the debate over slavery but actually escalate the passions surrounding it?
2. How did the violence in Kansas divide the federal government in Washington, DC?
3. Compare John Brown's role in Bleeding Kansas with his role in the Raid on Harpers Ferry.
2. How did the violence in Kansas divide the federal government in Washington, DC?
3. Compare John Brown's role in Bleeding Kansas with his role in the Raid on Harpers Ferry.
Violence Spreads to the U.S. Senate
Violence erupts in the U.S. Senate on May 22, 1856 as a direct result of the events in Kansas. Rep. Preston Brooks (D-SC), brutally attacked Sen. Charles Sumner as he sat at his desk. Unarmed and pinned in his seat by his desk that was fastened to the floor, Sumner was unable to offer any resistance. Brooks hit him repeatedly and continued the assault after Sumner fell to the floor. The attack finally stopped when Brooks' cane snapped.
Sumner had recently delivered the "Crime Against Kansas" speech in the Senate and had brazenly blamed the Kansas violence on the immorality and corruption of Southern slave owners. Brooks took offense at this and the insults directed towards his uncle Senator Andrew Butler of SC. |