Missouri Compromise: This legislation, passed in 1820, aimed to maintain a balance between free and slave states by admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state.
Compromise of 1850: This legislative package attempted to settle disputes regarding the newly acquired Mexican territories by allowing popular sovereignty (the people's vote) to determine whether those areas would permit slavery.
Kansas-Nebraska Act: Passed in 1854, this act allowed for popular sovereignty in Kansas and Nebraska territories, leading to violent clashes between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions.