University of Virginia
Miller Center at Uva: u.s. Presidents: Franklin Pierce: Domestic Policies
As Franklin Pierce became president, the question of slavery in the territories occupied his handling of his domestic policies. Read about the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the resulting turmoil in Kansas as abolitionists and...
![Digital History: Civil War in Kansas [Pdf] Website](https://d15y2dacu3jp90.cloudfront.net/images/attachment_defaults/resource/large/FPO-knovation.png "Digital History: Civil War in Kansas [Pdf] Website")
Digital History
Digital History: Civil War in Kansas [Pdf]
The Compromise of 1850 did not solve all the slavery issues in the territories, which was not surprising. Read about the Kansas-Nebraska Act, put forth by Sen. Stephan Douglas, who proposed that the issue be decided by popular...
Digital History
Digital History: "Bleeding Kansas" and "Bleeding Sumner"
Read about how the concept of popular sovereignty expressed in the Kansas-Nebraska Act resulted in political intrigue and murder in Kansas and the caning of a U.S. Senator in the Senate chamber.
PBS
Pbs: American Experience: John Brown's Holy War: Pottawatomie Massacre
PBS provides information on John Brown's involvement in the Pottawatomie Massacre and the reasons behind the massacre.
Other
Republican Party: Our History
Read the first few paragraphs of this article to find out about the formation of the Republican Party in 1854 and how it affected the political scene in the last part of the 1850s.
Ohio History Central
Ohio History Central: Free Soil Party
A description of the platform and beliefs of the Free Soil Party which opposed expansion of slavery into US territories.
The White House
The White House: Presidents: Martin Van Buren
The White House's official site gives an overview of the life and presidency of the eighth President of the United States, Martin Van Buren. A black and white photo is included.
Digital History
Digital History: The Revival of the Slavery Issue
A brief account of how the Kansas-Nebraska Act split apart party coalitions and helped create the new Republican Party. See who joined this party and read about its goals.
Siteseen
Siteseen: Government and Constitution: Free Soil Party
This article contains an overview of the history of the Free Soil Party, its leaders, their beliefs, and eventually joined with the National Union Party to form the newly formed Republican Party in 1854.