(Chicago)
The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 was proposed by Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois, in order to create the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, and to ensure that future settlers in those territories would have the authority to determine whether slavery would be permitted with these territories.
Senator Stephen A. Douglas believed that through popular sovereignty, the people of the Kansas Territory would vote to become a free state upon its entry into the Union. He believed that the settlers in the Kansas Territory had gone there to escape slavery and the competition of slaves in the labor market. As far as Douglas could tell, the people of Kansas were small time farmers who had little interest in having slavery as part of their economy.
Senator Douglas thought that a local vote - or 'popular sovereignty' - would be a better way of deciding for or against slavery in the new States.
It would allow the possibility of new slave-states, if the local population voted for it. In exchange for this, the South was willing to let Douglas build his trans-continental railroad via Chicago, instead of the Southern route they would have preferred.
Yes. He thought the people of each new state should vote whether it ought to be slave or free ('Popular Sovereignty'). He didn't foresee the problem about just one thinly-populated state voting at a time. Every bully-boy in America - from both sides - would cross into the state and intimidate voters. The resulting violence was called 'Bleeding Kansas'.
Stephen A. Douglas was born on April 23, 1813 and died on June 3, 1861. Stephen A. Douglas would have been 48 years old at the time of death or 202 years old today.
Stephen A. Douglas was born on April 23, 1813 and died on June 3, 1861. Stephen A. Douglas would have been 48 years old at the time of death or 202 years old today.
Stephen Douglas supported popular sovereignity, also called squatter sovereignity, which stated that each territory had the right to determine if they would accept slavery or not.
Stephen Douglas
us senator
The Kansas Nebraska Act was designed and supported by Democratic Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois. His intention was to ease tensions over human bondage.
Abraham lincoln is what you call all '' loner''. Stephen A. Douglas was very social. While Abe was shy, Douglas would be enjoying himself. Abe kept to himself most of the time.
Steven Douglas
Stephen Douglas wanted the Kansas-Nebraska Act to pass in 1854 because resolving the debate about slavery would help railroads expand faster.
Stephen A. Douglas... A little loud mouth guy about 5'4" while Abe was quiet and had a squeeky voice and towered over Douglas at 6'4" Pretty hilarious actually... I only know this because I grew up in Illinois and they hammered this into us during field trips to Springfield...
During one of the Lincoln-Douglas debates, U.S. Senator Stephen Douglas called Abraham Lincoln "two-faced." To which Lincoln replied, "I leave it to my audience. If I had another face, do you think I would wear this one?"
Stephen Douglas proposed the idea of popular sovereignty, allowing territories to vote on whether to allow slavery. He believed this would settle the issue by letting the people in each territory decide for themselves.