Which issue did the Kansas-Nebraska Act ignite significant conflict over?

Which issue did the Kansas-Nebraska Act ignite significant conflict over?

• A. Territorial expansion
• B. Immigration policies
• C. Slavery's expansion into new territories
• D. Women's suffrage

Answer: (C)

The Kansas-Nebraska Act, passed in 1854, was pivotal in escalating tensions over the issue of slavery in the United States. It created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska and allowed the settlers in those territories to determine through popular sovereignty whether they would permit slavery. This directly challenged the compromises established by previous legislation, particularly the Missouri Compromise of 1820, which had prohibited slavery north of latitude 36°30′. The act led to significant conflict as pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions rushed into Kansas to influence the vote, resulting in violent confrontations known as "Bleeding Kansas." This turmoil highlighted the growing polarization in the country regarding the expansion of slavery and set the stage for increased political strife that ultimately contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War. Thus, the Kansas-Nebraska Act is most closely associated with the contentious debate over slavery’s expansion into new territories, making this the correct response.

The Kansas-Nebraska Act, passed in 1854, was pivotal in escalating tensions over the issue of slavery in the United States. It created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska and allowed the settlers in those territories to determine through popular sovereignty whether they would permit slavery. This directly challenged the compromises established by previous legislation, particularly the Missouri Compromise of 1820, which had prohibited slavery north of latitude 36°30′.

The act led to significant conflict as pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions rushed into Kansas to influence the vote, resulting in violent confrontations known as "Bleeding Kansas." This turmoil highlighted the growing polarization in the country regarding the expansion of slavery and set the stage for increased political strife that ultimately contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War. Thus, the Kansas-Nebraska Act is most closely associated with the contentious debate over slavery’s expansion into new territories, making this the correct response.