The Kansas-Nebraska Act

What was the Kansas-Nebraska Act?

The Kansas-Nebraska Act was a law which allowed people in those states to decide whether they wanted to introduce slavery.

When was the Kansas-Nebraska Act signed?

The Kansas-Nebraska Act was signed in 1854.

Why was the Kansas-Nebraska Act signed?

Kansas and Nebraska were created to allow the building of a northern transcontinental railroad. Under the terms of the Missouri Compromise they would become free states. To gain the southerners' support for their creation, it was decided that they should make their own decision on whether to allow slavery.

What were the consequences of the Kansas-Nebraska Act?

There were a number of consequences of the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

• ❖ Tensions surrounding the issue of slavery grew, leading to 'Bleeding Kansas'.
• ❖ The Missouri Compromise was now out of date as, in theory, new slave states could be created in the North.