kansas territory was established by the kansas–nebraska act. the kansas–nebraska act became a law on may 30, 1854, establishing the nebraska territory and kansas territory. the act repealed the missouri compromise of 1820 which marked a line of latitude to be the separation of free and slave states. the kansas-nebraska act allowed the settlers of kansas territory to determine by popular sovereignty whether kansas would be a free state or a slave state. the act contained thirty-seven sections. the provisions relating to kansas territory formed the last eighteen sections. some of the more notable sections were: