The Repeal of the Missouri Compromise

In 1854, Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois threw himself behind a legislative scheme that would enlist the support of a reluctant South. Douglas was a short, heavy-chested figure that radiated energy and breezy optimism of the self-made man. He longed to break North-South deadlock and stretch a line of settlements across the continent. He had also invested heavily in Chicago real estate and in railway stock and was eager to have the Windy City become …

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