One of the most crucial topics in the historical development of the United States is slavery. The subject of slavery fostered long-term tensions between slave owners, who benefitted from slavery, and slavery opposition, who promoted human rights. The political division caused by slavery is regarded by many people as the primary cause of the Civil War that shaped the future of the United States (PBS). As the paper will show, slavery indeed had a significant effect on the development of the United States. One of the most important impacts of the issue of slavery was that it showed the inefficiency of the American government, ultimately leading to the Civil War. The Three-Fifths Compromise was among the main pieces of legislation that impacted the political climate in America surrounding the issue of slavery. It posed that three of every five slaves should be counted as people in evaluating the states’ total population. Due to this legislation, the Southern states were disproportionately represented in American politics. This meant that they could have a more significant influence on politics, presidency, and legislative decisions than the Northern states. As a result, the legislation shaped political decision-making in America in the upcoming years. Another important part of legislation related to the problem of slavery was the Missouri Compromise of 1820. It enabled the expansion of slavery in Missouri while declaring Maine a free state. The Missouri Compromise provided a legislative basis for the expansion of slavery in the Western territories, which was beneficial for the Southern slave owners. The legislation also supported the prolongation of slavery debates in the American government (“Effects of the Compromise”). Hence, it led to other pieces of legislation that contributed to political tensions in 19th century America. The Compromise of 1850 was also instrumental in the development of slavery as a political issue. This legislation supported slavery through the Fugitive Slave Law, which required slaves who fled to free states to be returned to their masters in slave states. It also restricted the rights of black people to legal defense, so even freed slaves could not tell their story and had to be returned to their masters based on white people’s suspicions. This impaired the position of black people throughout the country, both in free states and in slave states. The Kansas-Nebraska Act was one of the last turning points before the Civil war. The Act established popular sovereignty as a way of deciding the fate of territories in Kansas and Nebraska as a slave or free territories. The Act was probably one of the most important legal documents in the historical development of the United Staes. On the one hand, this piece of legislation resulted in the immediate escalation of tensions in America, leading to the events of Bleeding Kansas. On the other hand, the Act showed the futility of the government’s efforts to resolve the issue of slavery through politics and showed the inefficiency of the government. As a result of the Act, slavery gained even more prominence in politics and society, leading to increased social and political division. Shortly after the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the Dred Scott decision also had an impact on the