What notable right did the Kansas-Nebraska Act grant to the territory's population?

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The Kansas-Nebraska Act, passed in 1854, introduced the concept of popular sovereignty, which allowed the settlers of the Kansas and Nebraska territories to determine for themselves whether they would allow slavery within their borders. This was a significant shift in policy, as it effectively repealed the Missouri Compromise, which had prohibited slavery in those territories.

By granting the right to vote on the issue of slavery, the act aimed to resolve the contentious debate over the expansion of slavery in the United States. This approach was believed to provide a democratic solution to the question of whether new states would be free or slave states, thereby reflecting the values of self-determination and local governance. The implementation of popular sovereignty, however, led to significant conflict and violence in the territories, known as "Bleeding Kansas," as pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions fought for control. This pivotal moment emphasized the complexities and intensity of the national debate over slavery leading up to the Civil War.