ABSTRACT
Kansas-Nebraska Act, the (history) The Congressional act (passed in 1854) designed to organize the TERRITORIES of ‘Kansas’ and ‘Nebraska’ in the WEST, and prepare them for statehood. It was controversial because it left the decision of having legalized slavery to these new, individual soon-to-be US STATES; that is, each was to decide for itself if it would accept SLAVERY (i.e., slave state) or prohibit it (i.e., non-slave state). This act resulted in: repealing the MISSOURI COMPROMISE, hurting relations between the SOUTH and the NORTH and directly leading to the CIVIL WAR. See REPUBLICAN PARTY.
