How we cite our quotes: (Section.Sentence)
Quote #1
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That all that part of the territory of the United States included within the following limits, except such portions thereof as are hereinafter expressly exempted from the operations of this act, to wit: beginning at a point in the Missouri River where the fortieth parallel of north latitude crosses the same; then west on said parallel to the east boundary of the Territory of Utah, the summit of the Rocky Mountains; thence on said summit northwest to the forty-ninth parallel of north latitude; thence east on said parallel to the western boundary of the territory of Minnesota; thence southward on said boundary to the Missouri River; thence down the main channel of said river to the place of beginning, be, and the same is hereby, created into a temporary government by the name of the Territory Nebraska […] (1.1)
The Nebraska Territory took up what we now know as Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska. It was huge, and it, together with BFF Kansas Territory, connected the last dots between the eastern states and the western states and territories.
Quote #2
[…] nothing in this act contained shall be construed to inhibit the government of the United States from dividing said Territory into two or more Territories, in such manner and at such time as Congress shall deem convenient and proper, or from attaching a portion of said Territory to any other State or Territory of the United States […] (1.1; 19.1)
Heads up, territories: you may be helping the United States fulfill its expansion destiny and everything, but no guarantees those borders we gave you are going to stay that way forever, okay?
Quote #3
And be it further enacted, That all that part of the Territory of the United States included within the following limits, except such portions thereof as are hereinafter expressly exempted from the operations of this act, to wit, beginning at a point on the western boundary of the State of Missouri, where the thirty-seventh parallel of north latitude crosses the same; thence west on said parallel to the eastern boundary of New Mexico; thence north on said boundary to latitude thirty-eight; thence following said boundary westward to the east boundary of the Territory of Utah, on the summit of the Rocky Mountains; thence northward on said summit to the fortieth parallel of latitude, thence east on said parallel to the western boundary of the State of Missouri; thence south with the western boundary of said State to the place of beginning, be, and the same is hereby, created into a temporary government by the name of the Territory of Kansas […] (19.1)
Originally, the area that became Kansas and Nebraska Territories petitioned to just be one huge Nebraska Territory. The 33rd Congress decided instead to make it into two territories, though Nebraska Territory was still totally enormous by anyone's standards.