Essay question: The expansion of slavery into new territories was a divisive issue in American politics. Describe the history of this issue prior to the Civil War. How did the terms of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) differ from the Missouri Compromise of 1820? What role did Henry Clay, David Wilmot, Stephen Douglas, James Polk, John Brown and Abraham Lincoln play in these debates? How did this issue eventually lead to the Civil War? Please illustrate your answer with specific historical examples and facts.