Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE) Social Science Practice Test

Which of the following statements is true of the Kansas-Nebraska Act?

1. A. It led to the disintegration of the Democratic party

2. B. It was a measure that the South had been demanding for decades

3. C. It led directly to the formation of the Republican party

4. D. It maintained the tenuous sectional peace created by the Compromise of 1850

The correct answer is: C. It led directly to the formation of the Republican party

The statement that the Kansas-Nebraska Act led directly to the formation of the Republican Party is accurate and can be understood in the context of the political landscape of the 1850s. The Kansas-Nebraska Act, enacted in 1854, introduced the concept of popular sovereignty, allowing the settlers of Kansas and Nebraska to determine whether they would permit slavery within their borders. This act effectively repealed the Missouri Compromise, which had prohibited slavery in those territories, and it ignited intense debates and conflicts over the issue of slavery. As a result, the widespread opposition to the expansion of slavery galvanized a coalition of former Whigs, Free Soilers, and anti-slavery Democrats, leading to the formation of the Republican Party in 1854. The new party was founded on the principles of stopping the spread of slavery into the territories and promoting free labor. Therefore, the direct consequences of the Kansas-Nebraska Act were instrumental in creating a unified opposition that would later challenge the Democratic dominance of the era, ultimately impacting the path toward the Civil War. In summary, the Kansas-Nebraska Act's creation of conflict over slavery significantly contributed to the political realignments of the time, resulting in the establishment of the Republican Party, which