Social Studies Praxis Practice Test

What was a consequence of including popular sovereignty in the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854?

1. It reopened slavery discussions north of the Missouri Compromise line.

2. It made New Orleans the eastern terminus of the transcontinental railroad.

3. It eliminated slavery possibilities west of the Mississippi River.

4. It repealed the Fugitive Slave Act.

The correct answer is: It reopened slavery discussions north of the Missouri Compromise line.

The inclusion of popular sovereignty in the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 allowed the settlers of those territories to decide for themselves whether they would allow slavery. This fundamentally altered the landscape of the debate around slavery in the United States at that time. By allowing the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to determine their own stance on slavery, it effectively reopened the contentious discussions about slavery above the Missouri Compromise line, which had previously prohibited slavery in that region. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 aimed to maintain a balance between free and slave states, and the Kansas-Nebraska Act directly contradicted this by endorsing the idea that settlers could choose their own regulations regarding slavery. The resulting conflict in Kansas, known as "Bleeding Kansas," highlighted the deep divisions in the nation and escalated tensions leading up to the Civil War. The other options do not accurately reflect the consequences of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. For instance, the act did not establish any transportation routes like a transcontinental railroad. It also did not eliminate the possibility of slavery west of the Mississippi River or repeal the Fugitive Slave Act, both of which were unrelated to the principle of popular sovereignty introduced by the act.