In contrast to Lincoln, Stephen Douglas championed the idea of popular sovereignty as a way to resolve the slavery dispute, which contributed greatly to
A.
violent conflict in Kansas.
B.
western expansion.
C.
border skirmishes in Texas.
D.
a decline in abolitionist sentiment.
The correct answer is A. violent conflict in Kansas.
To arrive at this answer, we need to consider the information provided in the question and make connections between the ideas. The question states that Stephen Douglas championed the idea of popular sovereignty as a way to resolve the slavery dispute. This means that Douglas believed that the decision on whether to allow slavery or not should be determined by the majority vote of the residents in the territory, rather than Congress imposing it.
By understanding this concept, we can draw the connection that popular sovereignty could lead to conflict, especially in areas where there were strong divisions of opinion on slavery. In the case of Kansas, when the territory opened up for settlement in the mid-1850s, there was a rush of settlers from both the North and the South. These settlers had conflicting views on the issue of slavery, and the popular sovereignty principle set the stage for a fierce struggle to determine whether Kansas would become a free or slave state.
This conflict in Kansas, known as "Bleeding Kansas," erupted into violent clashes and political turmoil. Pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces engaged in armed confrontations, resulting in numerous physical altercations and even deaths. This period of violence in Kansas was a direct result of the popular sovereignty principle advocated by Stephen Douglas. Therefore, the correct answer is A. violent conflict in Kansas.