Undergraduate Research Journal
Abstract
The Great Plains region in the United States has many stories embedded within its past that depict the lives and actions of individuals who left a notable mark on American history. While some of these stories may be uplifting, others embody the harsh realities of national tension and human cruelties that took place in a bygone era. Perhaps one of the most well-known aspects of the Great Plains was the issue of slavery in the 1850s. During that time, the Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed, allowing settlers within the new territories decide if they wanted slavery to be permitted by voting on the matter. One group that was adamant about preventing the expansion of slavery were abolitionists. Many abolitionists were determined to keep the Kansas Territory free, but their fight for freedom was not won easily or peacefully. In fact, historians now view the Kansas-Nebraska Act as laying the foundations for further divisions and violence that would culminate in the American Civil War. Regardless, abolitionists believed that their efforts to send settlers to vote in the territories would lead to the outlawing of slavery within that region. Due to recurring debates over the question of slavery and its implications on political matters in the 1850s, the Kansas-Nebraska Act led to the outbreak of violence on the Great Plains, as anti-slavery and pro-slavery forces battled over the issue of slavery within the newly created Kansas Territory.
Recommended Citation
Poggioli, Faith E.
(2026)
"The Battle Between Freedom and Enslavement on the Great Plains,"
Undergraduate Research Journal: Vol. 27, Article 6.
Available at:
https://openspaces.unk.edu/undergraduate-research-journal/vol27/iss1/6