Which of the following developments took place as a direct result of the Kansas Nebraska Act of 1854 in the history of the United States of America?

Introduction / Context:
The Kansas Nebraska Act of 1854 is a landmark law in the political history of the United States that significantly influenced the build up to the American Civil War. It altered earlier arrangements around the expansion of slavery into new territories. This question assesses knowledge of that historical legislation by asking which development directly resulted from the Kansas Nebraska Act.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The law under discussion is the Kansas Nebraska Act of 1854.
- The question focuses on the main political and legal outcome introduced by this Act.
- The options describe different possible consequences regarding slavery policy and territorial decision making.
- Only one option correctly explains the core effect of the Act, while others present incorrect or reversed statements.

Concept / Approach:
The key concept is the idea of popular sovereignty and the repeal of the earlier Missouri Compromise line. The Missouri Compromise had restricted the expansion of slavery north of a certain latitude. The Kansas Nebraska Act replaced that rule by allowing settlers in the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to vote and decide whether to permit slavery. This intensified sectional tensions, leading to violent conflicts such as Bleeding Kansas. Students must identify the option that clearly mentions repeal of the Missouri Compromise and introduction of local choice through popular sovereignty.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the Missouri Compromise earlier limited slavery in certain territories based on geographical lines. Step 2: Remember that the Kansas Nebraska Act explicitly repealed that compromise for the new territories of Kansas and Nebraska. Step 3: Understand that the Act introduced the concept of popular sovereignty, allowing settlers in those territories to vote on whether to allow slavery. Step 4: Read option A, which states that the Missouri Compromise was repealed and people of Kansas and Nebraska could decide on slavery, which matches historical facts. Step 5: Compare options B, C, and D, and notice that they either deny voting rights, assign exclusive power to the Federal Government, or claim slavery was abolished, none of which reflect the actual effect of the Act. Step 6: Conclude that option A correctly captures the main development caused by the Kansas Nebraska Act.

Verification / Alternative check:
As an additional check, students should connect this Act with the later conflict known as Bleeding Kansas, where pro slavery and anti slavery settlers clashed because the decision on slavery had been left to the people. This confirms that popular sovereignty and the repeal of the Missouri Compromise were central outcomes of the legislation, reinforcing option A as the correct choice.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B: Claims that territories were denied the right to vote and that the Missouri Compromise stayed intact, which is the opposite of what happened.
Option C: Suggests that only the Federal Government decided on slavery, whereas the Act actually pushed the decision down to territorial settlers through popular sovereignty.
Option D: States that slavery was abolished in all new western territories, which is incorrect; the Act did not abolish slavery but allowed it to expand depending on local votes.

Common Pitfalls:
A frequent mistake is confusing the Kansas Nebraska Act with later Reconstruction era legislation that limited slavery. Another error is assuming that any new law passed later would automatically strengthen anti slavery rules, when in reality this Act opened new territories to potential slavery. Students should carefully distinguish between laws that restricted slavery and those that allowed its possible expansion.

Final Answer:
Therefore, the correct development that resulted from the Kansas Nebraska Act of 1854 is The Missouri Compromise was repealed and the people of Kansas and Nebraska were allowed to decide by popular sovereignty whether slavery would be permitted.