Stephen A. Douglas

Douglas was a senator of Illinois. he longed to break the dead-lockof the North-South over westward expansion and settlements across the continent. douglas drew up a scheme that would split the nebraska territory into two, kansas AND nebraska. the status regarding slavery would be decided by "popular sovereignty". kansas would most likely decide to be a slave state since it was next to slaveholding Missouri. and nebraska, next to free-soil Iowa, a free state. but douglas' Kansas- Nebraska scheme contradicted with the Missouri Compromise of 1820, because it had already stated tat slavery was forbidden anywhere above the 36 30' line.