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Pierce had only to make gestures toward expansion to excite the wrath of northerners, who accused him of acting as a cat's-paw of Southerners eager to extend slavery into other areas. Therefore he aroused apprehension when he pressured Great Britain to relinquish its special interests along part of the Central American coast, and even more when he tried to persuade Spain to sell Cuba.  

Pierce had only to make gestures toward expansion to excite the wrath of northerners, who accused him of acting as a cat's-paw of Southerners eager to extend slavery into other areas. Therefore he aroused apprehension when he pressured Great Britain to relinquish its special interests along part of the Central American coast, and even more when he tried to persuade Spain to sell Cuba.  

But the most violent renewal of the storm stemmed from the [[Kansas-Nebraska Act]], which repealed the [[Missouri Compromise of 1820]] and reopened the question of slavery in the West. This measure, the handiwork of Senator [[Stephen A. Douglas]], grew in part out of his desire to promote a railroad from Chicago to California through Nebraska. Already Secretary of War [[Jefferson Davis]], advocate of a southern transcontinental route, had persuaded Pierce to send [[James Gadsden]] to [[Mexico]] to buy land for a southern railroad. He purchased the area now comprising southern Arizona and part of southern New Mexico for $10,000,000.  

But the most violent renewal of the storm stemmed from the [[Kansas-Nebraska Act]], which repealed the [[Missouri Compromise (1820)]] and reopened the question of slavery in the West. This measure, the handiwork of Senator [[Stephen A. Douglas]], grew in part out of his desire to promote a railroad from Chicago to California through Nebraska. Already Secretary of War [[Jefferson Davis]], advocate of a southern transcontinental route, had persuaded Pierce to send [[James Gadsden]] to [[Mexico]] to buy land for a southern railroad. He purchased the area now comprising southern Arizona and part of southern New Mexico for $10,000,000.  

Douglas's proposal, to organize western territories through which a railroad might run, caused extreme trouble. Douglas provided in his bills that the residents of the new territories could decide the slavery question for themselves. The result was a rush into Kansas, as southerners and northerners vied for control of the territory. Shooting broke out, and "bleeding Kansas" became a prelude to the [[American Civil War]].  

Douglas's proposal, to organize western territories through which a railroad might run, caused extreme trouble. Douglas provided in his bills that the residents of the new territories could decide the slavery question for themselves. The result was a rush into Kansas, as southerners and northerners vied for control of the territory. Shooting broke out, and "bleeding Kansas" became a prelude to the [[American Civil War]].