Kansas–Nebraska Act

E54193

The Kansas–Nebraska Act was an 1854 U.S. law that created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska and inflamed sectional tensions by allowing settlers there to decide the legality of slavery through popular sovereignty, effectively nullifying the Missouri Compromise.

All labels observed (7)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf 19th-century legislation
United States federal law
affectedCompromise Missouri Compromise
surface form: Missouri Compromise of 1820
aimedToFacilitate construction of a transcontinental railroad
allowed territorial decision on slavery by popular vote
chamberOfOrigin United States Senate
consequence Bleeding Kansas crisis
surface form: Bleeding Kansas

decline of the Whig Party
escalation of sectional tensions between North and South
growth of the Republican Party
heightened national debate over slavery
violence between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers in Kansas
country United States of America
surface form: United States
createdTerritory Kansas Territory
Nebraska Territory
dateEnacted 1854-05-30
executiveAction presidential signature by Franklin Pierce
governmentBranch United States Congress
hasEffect overturned Missouri Compromise restriction on slavery north of latitude 36°30′
hasShortName Kansas–Nebraska Act self-linksurface differs
surface form: Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854
historicalPeriod Antebellum period
introducedIn 33rd United States Congress
language English
legalPrinciple popular sovereignty
legislativeType organic act
locationOfLegislativeBody Washington, D.C.
longTitle An Act to Organize the Territories of Nebraska and Kansas
opposedBy Northern abolitionists
partOf United States territorial expansion
history of slavery in the United States
politicalContext sectional conflict over expansion of slavery
proposedBy Stephen A. Douglas
regionAffected Midwestern United States
surface form: American Midwest

Kansas Territory
Nebraska Territory
relatedConcept slave power controversy
states' rights
westward expansion of the United States
relatedToEvent American Civil War
Bleeding Kansas crisis
surface form: Bleeding Kansas
repealedProvisionOf Missouri Compromise
signedBy Franklin Pierce
sponsoredBy Stephen A. Douglas
subjectMatter slavery in United States territories
territorial organization
supportedBy many Southern pro-slavery politicians
year 1854

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (26)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Compromise of 1850 followedBy Kansas–Nebraska Act
Whig Party dividedOver Kansas–Nebraska Act
Charles Sumner opposed Kansas–Nebraska Act
this entity surface form: the Kansas–Nebraska Act
Antebellum period significantEvent Kansas–Nebraska Act
Missouri Compromise laterAffectedBy Kansas–Nebraska Act
Stephen A. Douglas knownFor Kansas–Nebraska Act
Stephen A. Douglas coAuthored Kansas–Nebraska Act
this entity surface form: Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854
Kansas–Nebraska Act hasShortName Kansas–Nebraska Act self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854
Bleeding Kansas crisis hasCause Kansas–Nebraska Act
Bleeding Kansas crisis hasRelatedEvent Kansas–Nebraska Act
this entity surface form: Missouri Compromise repeal
Bleeding Kansas crisis hasLegalContext Kansas–Nebraska Act
this entity surface form: Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854
Franklin Pierce signed Kansas–Nebraska Act
The Crime Against Kansas speech mainSubject Kansas–Nebraska Act
The Crime Against Kansas speech criticized Kansas–Nebraska Act
Kansas Territory (as namesake of Fort Riley) establishedBy Kansas–Nebraska Act
subject surface form: Kansas Territory
1856 United States presidential election context Kansas–Nebraska Act
this entity surface form: Kansas–Nebraska Act controversy
Little Giant associatedWithLegislation Kansas–Nebraska Act
33rd United States Congress passed Kansas–Nebraska Act
slave power controversy relatedTo Kansas–Nebraska Act
subject surface form: Slave Power Controversy
Wilmot Proviso relatedTo Kansas–Nebraska Act
Kansas Territory createdBy Kansas–Nebraska Act
Nebraska Territory createdByAct Kansas–Nebraska Act
Nebraska Territory significantEvent Kansas–Nebraska Act
this entity surface form: passage of the Kansas–Nebraska Act
Sacking of Lawrence relatedEvent Kansas–Nebraska Act
Wakarusa War relatedTo Kansas–Nebraska Act
Wakarusa War legislativeContext Kansas–Nebraska Act
this entity surface form: Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854