Bleeding Kansas is used to refer to a period of violence during the settlement of Kansas territory. In 1854 the Missouri Compromise was replaced with the Kansas-Nebraska Act. This act allowed the people to decide whether or not the territory allowed slaves. Under the Missouri Compromise a line of latitude decided whether it was free or slave territory. Proslavery and antislavery settlers began to quickly come into the territory to influence the decision. Both sides were fighting for the win and this soon erupted in violence. This violence went on for four months. Eventually federal trops were sent in to calm the conflict.