Spread of Slavery to Western Territories
Definition
As American settlers moved westward, there was a contentious debate over whether new states and territories should be free or slave-holding. The spread of slavery to western territories was a major issue leading up to the Civil War.
Related terms
Missouri Compromise (1820): This was an agreement passed in 1820 between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in Congress, involving primarily the regulation of slavery in western territories. It prohibited slavery north of latitude 36°30´.
Compromise of 1850: This series of laws admitted California as a free state but allowed some newly acquired territories to decide for themselves whether they would allow slavery.
Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854): This act allowed people in Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether or not to allow slavery within their borders.
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