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The '''Kansas-Nebraska Act''' was an 1854 law opening the American territories of [[Kansas]] and [[Nebraska]] to settlement, with the extremely controversial provision that the residents would decide whether or not to have slavery. It was the test of the "[[popular sovereignty]]" idea that democracy would trump ethics--that is, [[slavery]] was neither right nor wrong, but a policy people should decide for themselves. Illinois Senator [[Stephen Douglas]], leader of the Democrats in the Senate, devised and pushed the bill through to passage with a herculean effort. The Act led to civil war in Kansas--"[[Bleeding Kansas]]"--and escalated the tensions over slavery that led to secession and the [[American Civil War]] in 1861.

The '''Kansas-Nebraska Act''' was an 1854 law opening the American territories of [[Kansas]] and [[Nebraska]] to settlement, with the extremely controversial provision that the residents would decide whether or not to have slavery. It was the test of the "[[popular sovereignty]]" idea that democracy would trump ethics--that is, [[slavery]] was neither right nor wrong, but a policy people should decide for themselves. Illinois Senator [[Stephen Douglas]], leader of the Democrats in the Senate, devised and pushed the bill through to passage with a herculean effort. The Act led to civil war in Kansas--"[[Bleeding Kansas]]"--and escalated the tensions over slavery that led to secession and the [[American Civil War]] in 1861.  Passed by the House of Representatives by a vote of only 113 to 100 on May 25, 1854,<ref>http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/kansas.html</ref> this divisive law is considered by historians to have been the single biggest step towards the break-up of the [[United States]] six and a half years later.

The Act effectively nullified the earlier [[Missouri Compromise]], as Kansas and Nebraska were both north of the compromise line where slavery was not to be allowed. Anti-slavery activists were outraged. The act let settlers decide for themselves whether to allow slavery, in the name of "popular sovereignty" or rule of the people. Opponents, led by [[Free Soil]] Democrats such as [[Salmon P. Chase]] denounced the law as a concession to the [[Slave Power]] --that is the political machine of slaveowners that controlled the South and much of the national government. The act and the subsequent civil war in [[Bleeding Kansas]] was a major step on the way to the [[American Civil War]].

The Act effectively nullified the earlier [[Missouri Compromise]], as Kansas and Nebraska were both north of the compromise line where slavery was not to be allowed. Anti-slavery activists were outraged. The act let settlers decide for themselves whether to allow slavery, in the name of "popular sovereignty" or rule of the people. Opponents, led by [[Free Soil]] Democrats such as [[Salmon P. Chase]] denounced the law as a concession to the [[Slave Power]] --that is the political machine of slaveowners that controlled the South and much of the national government. The act and the subsequent civil war in [[Bleeding Kansas]] was a major step on the way to the [[American Civil War]].