Investor Presentaiton
The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854
The Northern territory in the Louisiana Purchase had been classified as
official Indian Territory since the territory became part of the U.S.
However, in 1854, Senator Stephen Douglas proposed dividing the land
into two areas Kansas and Nebraska. Both would decide the issue of
slavery through popular sovereignty. Douglass wanted to open up the
land so that the transcontinental railroad could pass through.
While the act made it through Congress, it only encouraged more
controversy. Soon, Kansas became a breeding ground for political
violence. Settlers, both pro and anti-slavery, poured over the border of
Kansas to support or oppose slavery. Two governments were set up, one
supported slavery and the other was against it. Violence broke out
between pro and anti-slavery settlers, and Kansas become known as
"bleeding Kansas."
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