Causes of the Civil War: Kansas-Nebraska Act

As the United States moved towards the mid-19th century, multiple factors contributed to the growing sectional tensions between the North and the South. The rise of abolitionism, the contentious debates over the expansion of slavery into new territories, and key legislative acts experienced significant influence on the path to conflict. One specific event intensified the divide, leading many to consider it a catalyst for the impending Civil War. Which of the following events is most widely recognized as a significant cause of the Civil War?