The Kansas-Nebraska Act

Question 3 • Survey of U.S. History - SS3313 IC

In the 1800s, why did the US government want to keep the number of free states and slave states equal?

Answer

to prevent one region from becoming more economically unstable than another and to keep the US economy on an even keel

to maintain a balance in Congress between the number of representatives who supported slavery compared to those who opposed it

to make it less likely that enslaved workers would attempt to escape a slave state to seek freedom in a free state

to provide settlers in the territories the opportunity and the right to determine the issue of slavery for themselves

Explanation

Each state had two senators, so keeping the number of free and slave states equal helped preserve a balance in the Senate between supporters and opponents of slavery. The balance was about political power in Congress, not keeping regional economies equally stable or preventing escapes. Therefore, the correct choice is “to maintain a balance in Congress between the number of representatives who supported slavery compared to those who opposed it.”

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