How did the Kansas Nebraska act cause the Whig party to split?

The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, which allowed settlers in those territories to decide on the legality of slavery through popular sovereignty, intensified the sectional conflict between the North and South. Many Northern Whigs opposed the act, viewing it as a betrayal of their anti-slavery principles, while Southern Whigs largely supported it. This divide over the issue of slavery led to fractures within the party, ultimately contributing to its collapse as many members realigned with the newly formed Republican Party, which took a strong anti-slavery stance. The act thus highlighted the irreconcilable differences within the Whig Party, hastening its demise.