Which document or outcome is most associated with the efforts of Stephen Douglas?

The Kansas-Nebraska Act is most closely associated with Stephen Douglas, as he was a key architect of this legislation. Introduced in 1854, the act effectively created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska and allowed the settlers in those territories to decide for themselves whether or not to allow slavery within their borders, a concept known as "popular sovereignty." This was significant in the context of the time because it aimed to address tensions between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions, but it ultimately led to increased conflict, notably the violent confrontations known as "Bleeding Kansas."

Douglas's goal was to facilitate the organization of new territories in order to promote the expansion of the United States and pave the way for a transcontinental railroad. His involvement in the Kansas-Nebraska Act demonstrates his influence in the political landscape of the mid-19th century, particularly regarding the issue of slavery, and it highlights the deep divisions that would soon escalate into the Civil War.

The other documents mentioned, such as the Emancipation Proclamation and the Gettysburg Address, were created during the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, while the Compromise of 1850, though influential in U.S. history and dealing with similar themes of slavery and territorial governance, was a