Lesson 2 the Compromise of 1850 Chapter 16 Lesson 2 the Compromise of 1850

I. Slavery Debate Erupts Again California requested admission to the Union as a free state in 1850 1. Balance in the Senate is threatened yet again ( 15/15) - Oregon, Utah and New Mexico might also join as free states 2. Southern Congressmen feared they would be outvoted (secede) 3. Northern Congressmen felt CA should enter Union as free

B. Senator Henry Clay ( the Compromiser) pleaded for the North and South to come to a compromise 1. Senator John Calhoun (SC) was not willing to compromise a. slavery should be allowed in Western territories b. runaway slaves be returned to owners c. wanted northerners to admit that southerners had right to reclaim “property” 2. If the North rejected the demands, threat made that South would use force to leave the Union Daniel Webster ( Mass.) wanted the Union saved 1. Feared separation could not occur without a war 2. He saw slavery as evil but also saw the break up of the US as worse. 3. To save the Union, he would support Southern demands that runaway slaves be returned

II. Compromise of 1850 Presented by Henry Clay, it was 5 bills 1 II. Compromise of 1850 Presented by Henry Clay, it was 5 bills 1. California would be admitted as a free state 2. Mexican Cession would be divided into New Mexico and Utah. Voters would decide if slavery would be allowed 3. Ended slave trade not slavery in Washington DC 4. Included a strong fugitive slave law 5. settled a border dispute between Texas and New Mexico

Fugitive Slave Act 1. required citizens to help catch runaway slaves 2. People who let fugitives escape could be fined $1,000 and jailed 3. Special courts set up to deal with cases. -Judges got $10 for sending an accused runaway to South and $5 for setting them free

C. Reaction to the Act 1. Anti slavery northerners hated it. Felt like they were part of the slavery system. 2. Southern slave holders tried to capture free blacks who had lived in the North for years and even captured free African Americans from the North 3. Northerners refused to follow the law and actually tried harder to rescue those who were being pursued.

III. Uncle Tom’s Cabin 1852- Harriet Beecher Stowe published Uncle Tom’s Cabin to show the evils of slavery and the injustice of the Fugitive Slave Act. Sold 300,000 copies in one year The book was very popular in the North, Southerners disliked because it did not accurately depict slave-life