What does "Bleeding Kansas" refer to?

• A. A peaceful resolution to the slavery debate
• B. A series of violent confrontations over slavery in Kansas
• C. A legal battle in the Supreme Court
• D. A political compromise between the North and South

Answer: (B)

"Bleeding Kansas" refers to a tumultuous period in the mid-1850s characterized by violent confrontations between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in the Kansas Territory. This conflict arose after the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854, which allowed settlers in those territories to decide for themselves whether to allow slavery through popular sovereignty. As people from both sides rushed to Kansas to influence the decision, clashes erupted, leading to a significant loss of life and intense brutality. This series of events highlighted the deepening divisions in the United States regarding the issue of slavery and foreshadowed the violent conflicts that would ultimately lead to the Civil War.