Where did Douglas want the eastern railroad terminal to be?
Douglas also wanted the territory organized in hopes of placing the eastern terminus of a transcontinental railroad in Chicago, rather than St. Louis or New Orleans.
What two territories did Douglas want to organize?
In 1854, Senator Stephen Douglas of Illinois proposed a bill to organize the Territory of Nebraska, a vast area of land that would become Kansas, Nebraska, Montana and the Dakotas.
What was the first step toward building the railroad that Stephen Douglas proposed?
Douglas favored a line running from Chicago. The first step toward building such a railroad would be organizing what remained of the Louisiana Purchase into a federal ter- ritory. The Missouri Compromise required that this land be free territory and eventually free states.
What did Stephen Douglas want?
He believed in America’s unique mission and manifest destiny, was a leading proponent of Texas annexation, demanded the acquisition of Oregon, and supported the war with Mexico. A man of great energy and persuasive power, standing only five feet four inches tall, Douglas became known as the Little Giant.
How did Douglas stand to gain from the railroad?
Hoping for a more prominent position in government, Douglas ran for the United States House of Representatives in 1838. In 1854, Douglas proposed the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Douglas hoped that this act would lead to the creation of a transcontinental railroad and settle the differences between the North and the South.
Did Kansas Nebraska allow slavery?
The Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed each territory to decide the issue of slavery on the basis of popular sovereignty. The Kansas-Nebraska act made it possible for the Kansas and Nebraska territories (shown in orange) to open to slavery. The Missouri Compromise had prevented this from happening since 1820.
Who was against the spread of slavery into new territories?
Republican Party
Opponents of the Kansas-Nebraska Act helped found the Republican Party, which opposed the spread of slavery into the territories. As a result of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the United States moved closer to Civil War.
Did Kansas-Nebraska allow slavery?
Did Bell support slavery?
Although a slaveholder, Bell was one of the few Southern politicians to oppose the expansion of slavery to the territories in the 1850s, and he campaigned vigorously against secession in the years leading up to the American Civil War.
What office did Lincoln and Douglas run for 1858?
U.S. Senate
From August to October of 1858, Abraham Lincoln, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate from Illinois, took on the incumbent Democratic Senator Stephen A. Douglas in a series of seven debates.
Why did Stephen Douglas want to build a transcontinental railroad?
While he served in the House and in the Senate, Douglas played an important role in resolving differences between Northerners and Southerners over the issue of slavery. Douglas hoped that this act would lead to the creation of a transcontinental railroad and settle the differences between the North and the South.