This book is a history of the events leading up to the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, which set the stage for the Civil War. Sidney George Fisher describes the political machinations and popular movements that led to the act, as well as its consequences for the country as a whole. He pays particular attention to the role of the press in shaping public opinion, and to the conflicts between the pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions. This book is an important reminder of how the issues of slavery and states' rights ignited a national crisis that would reverberate for decades. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.