Which one of the following developments took place because of the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854?
- A.The Missouri Compromise was repealed and people of Kansas and Nebraska were allowed to determine whether they should own slaves or not.
- B.The Act did not permit the territories the right to vote over the question of slavery.
- C.The voice of the majority in regard to the issue of slavery was muzzled.
- D.The Federal Government had the sole authority to decide on slavery.
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is A, The Missouri Compromise was repealed and people of Kansas and Nebraska were allowed to determine whether they should own slaves or not.. The Act set aside the Missouri Compromise and let the settlers of the two territories decide on slavery by vote.
The Missouri Compromise of 1820 had banned slavery in the Louisiana territories north of latitude 36°30′. Senator Stephen Douglas's Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 replaced that line with 'popular sovereignty', a vote by the settlers themselves. Pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers rushed into Kansas and fought, a period called 'Bleeding Kansas'. Opposition to the Act led to the founding of the Republican Party, and the conflict fed into the American Civil War of 1861.
B is wrong because the Act did the opposite and gave the territories the right to vote on slavery. C is wrong because it rested the decision on the majority of settlers rather than silencing them. D is wrong because it took the decision away from Congress and handed it to the territories.
Exam tip: 1820 Missouri Compromise (36°30′ line) → 1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act (popular sovereignty) → Bleeding Kansas → Republican Party → Civil War 1861.
Practice Questions
View allWhich river is praised in the fifth century Tamil epic, Silappadikaram?
- A.Cauvery
- B.Godavari
- C.Saraswati
- D.Ganges
Show answer
The Silappadikaram sings the praise of the Kaveri, the life-giving river of the Chola country, in whose delta its story begins.
Read the full explanation →Which Buddhist text contains an account of the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka?
- A.Vinaya Pitaka
- B.Sutta Pitaka
- C.Abhidhamma Pitaka
- D.Mahavamsa
Show answer
The Mahavamsa, the great Pali chronicle of Sri Lanka, gives a detailed account of Ashoka, his conversion to Buddhism and his missions abroad.
Read the full explanation →The idea of 'Farr-i Izadi', on which the Mughal kingship was based, was first developed by which one of the following Sufi saints?
- A.Shihabuddin Suhrawardi
- B.Nizamuddin Auliya
- C.Ibn al-Arabi
- D.Bayazid Bistami
Show answer
The idea of farr-i izadi, a light emanating from God, was first developed by the twelfth-century Iranian Sufi thinker Shihabuddin Suhrawardi.
Read the full explanation →Which twelfth century Sanskrit scholar was first responsible for the compilation of 'Nibandhas' or digests of epic and Puranic texts?
- A.Harsha
- B.Govindachandra
- C.Lakshmidhara
- D.Kalidasa
Show answer
Lakshmidhara, a minister of the Gahadavala king Govindachandra of Kanauj, compiled the Kritya-kalpataru, the first great nibandha or digest of Dharmashastra, epic and Puranic texts.
Read the full explanation →Name the platform used for ritual purposes by the kings of the Vijayanagara Empire.
- A.Mahanavami Dibba
- B.Lotus Mahal
- C.Hazara Rama
- D.Virupaksha
Show answer
This massive stone platform in the royal enclosure at Hampi was where the Vijayanagara kings performed the rituals of the Mahanavami festival.
Read the full explanation →