Slavery and the West 15-1

Objectives Learn how the debate over slavery was related to the admission of new states. Learn what the Compromise of 1850 accomplished.

Missouri Compromise The Missouri Compromise was an agreement that came about when Congress debated over the admission of Missouri into the Union as a slave state. This would upset the balance of free and slave states and the Senate would be dominated by slave states.

Clay’s Proposal Senator Henry Clay from Kentucky proposed a plan by which Missouri would be allowed to enter the Union as a slave state and Maine would enter as a free state.

Missouri Compromise aka The Compromise of 1820 Clay’s proposal was accepted. Both states entered the Union. In addition, a line was drawn at the southern Missouri border, 36 degrees 30 minutes. Above that line slavery was prohibited in territories.

Missouri Compromise Question Missouri entered the Union as a slave state. Yet, the entire state lay above the 36 degree 30 minute line which prohibited slavery. How can this be?

Wilmot Proviso When it was clear the United States was going to gain territory from the war with Mexico, David Wilmot, a congressman from Pennsylvania, proposed that all lands gained as a result of the Mexican War slavery be abolished.

Calhoun’s Reaction John C. Calhoun, senator from South Carolina countered that Congress or any territorial government had no authority to prohibit slavery anywhere.

Election of 1848 The Whig Party chose Zachary Taylor, a hero of the Mexican War.

Free Soil Party As the name implies, the Free Soil Party wanted to keep slavery from expanding into any new territories. Their slogan, “Free soil, free Speech, Free Labor, and Free Men”. They endorsed the Wilmot Proviso and nominated Martin Van Buren.

Lewis Cass Lewis Cass, Senator from Michigan was chosen by the Democratic Party.

1848 Election Results Zachary Taylor won the election even though he won less than half of the popular vote and won fewer states than Lewis Cass.

California One of the huge gains from the Mexican War was California. The question that arose was: Would California be a free or slave state? Californians settle the issue by prohibiting slavery in their state constitution.

Potential States In addition to California, states could be carved from the New Mexico and Utah territories, plus Oregon. Would states from these territories be slave or free?

New Compromise In 1850, Henry Clay proposed another compromise to deal with California and the issue of slavery.

Clay’s Proposal California would be admitted as a free state. New Mexico would have no restrictions on slavery. The New Mexico/Texas border dispute would be settled in favor of New Mexico. The slave trade would be abolished in Washington, D.C. A strict fugitive slave law would be passed.

Calhoun’s Response Calhoun was bitterly opposed to the plan. He felt congress had no business interfering in slavery.

Daniel Webster Webster supported Clay’s proposal. He felt the proposal would not harm anti-slavery forces and eventually geography would effect the issue of slavery. Plus, he wanted to save the Union.

Congressional Opposition Clay’s plan as it was could not pass. Congressmen and President Taylor opposed even opposed it. On July 9, 1850, Taylor died. Millard Fillmore became the 13th President.

Compromise of 1850 With Fillmore’s backing, and the political work of Stephen A. Douglas, Senator from Illinois, a series of measures were passed and collectively they become known as the Compromise of 1850.