Which of the following best describes the outcome of the Bleeding Kansas events?

The events known as Bleeding Kansas were a series of violent confrontations that erupted in the Kansas Territory between 1854 and 1859, primarily between anti-slavery and pro-slavery factions. The outcome of these events significantly heightened tensions between the North and South in the pre-Civil War era.

As pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers flooded into Kansas to influence whether the state would enter the Union as free or slave, violent conflicts erupted, including notable incidents like the sack of Lawrence and the Pottawatomie Massacre led by John Brown. These confrontations were emblematic of the growing national divide over the slavery issue, showcasing the failure of popular sovereignty as a means to resolve the conflict and highlighting the intense emotional and political stakes involved.

This escalation in violence not only polarized the national debate but also contributed to the collapse of the Whig Party and the rise of the Republican Party, which opposed the expansion of slavery. Consequently, Bleeding Kansas became a microcosm of the broader conflict that would lead to the Civil War, making the increase in tensions between the North and South the most accurate characterization of the outcome of these events.