Kansas-Nebraska Act and Political Impact

Matthew Pinsker discusses the Kansas-Nebraska Act, a pivotal legislation in the antebellum period. Introduced by Stephen Douglas in 1854, the Act aimed to organize territories and address slavery debates through popular sovereignty, violating the Missouri Compromise. This decision fractured the Democratic Party, leading many anti-slavery Democrats to join the emerging Republican Party, setting the stage for the Civil War. The Act's impact extended beyond politics, contributing to the Union's eventual breakup.

What is the Kansas-Nebraska Act primarily about?

• The formation of the Union

• The expansion of the United States

• The breakup of the Democratic Party

• The end of the Civil War

Who introduced the Kansas-Nebraska Act?

• Stephen Douglas

• Andrew Jackson

• Franklin Pierce

• Abraham Lincoln

What was Stephen Douglas's proposed solution to the slavery debate?

• Missouri Compromise

• Abolition of slavery

• Popular sovereignty

• Dred Scott Decision

Which principle did the Kansas-Nebraska Act violate?

• Fugitive Slave Act

• Missouri Compromise of 1820

• Dred Scott Decision

• Compromise of 1850

What was the reaction of Northern Democrats to the Kansas-Nebraska Act?

• They ignored it

• They supported it

• They were indifferent

• They opposed it

Which president worked with Stephen Douglas to support the Kansas-Nebraska Act?

• Andrew Johnson

• Millard Fillmore

• Franklin Pierce

• James Buchanan

What was the result of the Kansas-Nebraska Act on the Northern Democratic Party?

• It led to new alliances

• It decimated the party

• It had no effect

• It strengthened the party

Which new political coalition emerged as a result of the Kansas-Nebraska Act?

• Whig Party

• Green Party

• Libertarian Party

• Republican Party

What was one of the preconditions necessary for the breakup of the Union?

• Formation of the Red Guards

• Compromise of 1850

• Emergence of the Republican Party

• Abolition of slavery

What were the Red Guards known for?

• Promoting peace

• Organizing peaceful protests

• Supporting the Democratic Party

• Publicly humiliating and assaulting political enemies