Section #1 - The Congressmen Who Built Then Broke The Union
Chapter 69: Douglas makes a fatal mis-step with his 1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act.
On January 23, 1854 the “Little Giant” offers a new bill that will have cataclysmic impact on the future of the Union. In it he proposes to:
- Split the Nebraska Territory in two, adding Kansas as a second state;
- Drop the 36’30” boundary line agreed to in the 1820 Missouri Compromise; and
- Replace it with “pop sov” elections to decide on Free vs. Slave state dispositions.
It passes along party lines on March 3, 1854.
Senate Vote on the 1854 K-N Act
| Ayes | Nays | |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 37 | 14 |
| Democrats – North | 14 | 0 |
| Democrats – South | 15 | 2 |
| Whigs – North | 0 | 12 |
| Whigs – South | 8 | 0 |