How did Illinois Senator Stephen A. Douglas intensify the conflict over slavery? Douglas took bribes from Southern slaveowners to change the rules of the previous compromises and allow Northern states to enter as slave states Northerners were depending on Kansas and Nebraska to become free states and he agreed to a compromise that hurt his cause In a betrayal to his political allies in the South, Douglas joined the free-soilers and established a rival government in Kansas Despite being from Illinois, Douglas proposed the entry of Kansas and Nebraska into the United States as slave states

Stephen A. Douglas played a pivotal role in the escalating tensions around slavery with his advocacy for the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854. This legislation effectively repealed the Missouri Compromise, allowing the territories north of the 36°30' parallel to decide the slavery issue through popular sovereignty. This shift sparked violent confrontations, known as "Bleeding Kansas," as pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions rushed to the territories to influence the vote, highlighting the deep national rifts over slavery. Douglas’s approach not only alienated abolitionists but also disgruntled many Northerners who had hoped for Kansas and Nebraska to emerge as free states. His insistence on allowing local settlers to make the decision fueled resentment among those opposed to the expansion of slavery. This controversial stance ultimately damaged his standing in the North, leading to fractures within the Democratic Party and setting the stage for the emergence of the Republican Party committed to halting slavery’s spread.