Why did Stephen Douglas support the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854? Why did Abraham Lincoln oppose it? Young historians examine how the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 affected the political balance between free and slave states and explore how its author, Stephen Douglas, promoted its policy of popular sovereignty to avoid a national crises over slavery.

Concepts

the kansas-nebraska act, slavery, abolitionists, the missouri compromise of 1850, causes of the civil war, the united states civil war, popular sovereignty

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Additional Tags

congressional neutrality, federal territories, sectionalism, bleeding kansas, fugitive slave act, uncle tom's cabin, harriet beecher stowe, abolitionist movement, social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• If all class members have out-of-class Internet access, save copying costs and have students read the speeches online as homework

Classroom Considerations

• Third lesson in the unit "The Growing Crisis of Sectionalism in Antebellum America: A House Dividing"
• Requires individual copies of the required documents

Pros

• The packet includes background information for teachers, mapping activities, a debate question, assessment suggestions, and extensions

Cons

• None