What event is known for the violent conflict between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in Kansas?

The event known as "Bleeding Kansas" refers to the violent conflict that erupted in Kansas Territory between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions during the mid-1850s. This turmoil arose in response to the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, which allowed the settlers in those territories to determine for themselves whether they would allow slavery or not, a principle known as popular sovereignty.

As settlers streamed into Kansas, both pro-slavery supporters and abolitionists sought to gain dominance over the territory, leading to brutal confrontations, elections marred by violence and fraud, and a breakdown of law and order. Notable incidents include the sack of Lawrence in 1856 by pro-slavery forces and the violent retaliatory actions led by John Brown and his followers. The term "Bleeding Kansas" aptly describes this period of intense strife and bloodshed, symbolizing the broader national conflict over slavery that would eventually escalate into the Civil War.

Other choices do not directly pertain to this specific conflict. The Civil War refers to the overall war between the North and South from 1861 to 1865. Reconstruction follows the Civil War and deals with the processes of reintegrating the Southern states and addressing the status of the formerly ensl