Slavery played a dominating and critical role in much of Southern life. In the
             struggle for control in America, slavery was the South's stronghold and the hidden motive
             behind many political actions and economic statistics. By dominating Southern life, slavery
             also dominated the economic and political aspects of life in the South from 1840 to 1860.
             By the 1840's and 50's the Southern economy had almost completely become
             slave and cash crop agriculture based. Without slaves in the south a person was left either
             landless and penniless or struggling to get by on a small farm. However, even though
             slaves dominated the southern economy, slaveholders only included about 2 to 3 percent
             of the population. This small percentage was the amount of people successful in a slave
             based, cash crop agricultural, Southern economy. Therefore, the Southern economy was
             controlled and dominated by those who did and did not have slaves. Furthermore, with the
             high demand for Southern items in Europe and Northern America more slaves were
             needed in the South to produce these cash crops. Without slaves there would be no
             cotton, tobacco, or sugar production and without these integral items the Southern
             economy would absolutely fail. The South depended on slaves to fuel their economy and
             therefore slavery dominated their economy.
             Between 1840 and 1860 many political issues, debates, and actions were inflamed
             by slavery. As America grew, the South wanted more slave states and the North wanted
             more free states to increase their hold in politics. One important act that fueled the slavery
             dominated political world of 1840 to 1860 was the Kansas and Nebraska act written by
             Stephen Douglas. This act repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820 and called for
             popular sovereignty in Kansas and Nebraska which under the Missouri Compromise had
             been free. The Missouri Compromise was originally an act to
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