On January 4, 1854, Stephen A. Douglas introduced a bill in the United States Senate. His purpose was to see that Nebraska was organized as a territory in order to facilitate the creation of a transcontinental railroad with a terminus in Chicago. Southerners, however, saw this as likely to bring another "free" state into the Union, so in order to win their support, he proposed leaving the issue of Slavery to the territories. This would have presumably meant that the more northern territory (Nebraska) would be free and the southern one (Kansas) would permit slavery. However, this was contrary to the Missouri Compromise of 1820 which stated clearly that this territory should be "free." The bill effectively repealed the Missouri Compromise.
Although the bill passed with the support of President Franklin Pierce, it was violently opposed by many, including Salmon P. Chase and Charles Sumner. By reviving the issue of slavery, the act may have hastened the Civil War.
