As Northern Democratic Senator Stephen Douglas introduced the bill solely to organize the Western Territory to build railroads iron in his home state of Illinois, the South seized the opportunity to push his efforts. expansion program. Knowing that Douglas needed Southern Democrats to pass his bill, senators "would no longer tolerate the retention of the Missouri Compromise declaration that slavery be 'forever prohibited' in Nebraska." They had to cancel this “retention” since slavery would not remain stuck in the South. Douglas offered them the opportunity to demand change. The growing number of slaves pushed politicians to seize this opportunity to improve their chances of expansion and therefore survival.