Slavery Compromises

Missouri Compromise  Background  The “Era of Good Feelings”  Monroe’s avoidance of political squabbles  After War of 1812, Federalists eliminated as a major political force  Republicans begin to adopt some former Federalist policies –Federal $ for internal improvements –tariffs

Missouri Compromise  Slavery had not been a significant issue since the Constitutional Convention  Hartford Convention of 1814 –Reflective of political/economic concerns along sectional lines  In 1819, Missouri considered in Congress for statehood –There are 11 slave states, 11 free states

Missouri Compromise  Missouri would upset the balance in the Senate  Conspiracy Theory: –Every President since Adams was a Virginian….New aristocracy???  James Tallmadge (Republican—NY) –Proposes that no more slaves be brought into MO, and that upon age 25, all slaves there would be freed

Missouri Compromise  Issues  South says North conspiring to destroy the Union, end slavery  North says South trying to extend slavery  Henry Clay of Kentucky (Speaker of the House) –Worried of talk of disunion, civil war  Is the Union falling apart?

Missouri Compromise  1 st Missouri Compromise  At the same time, Maine is seeking admission as a state  Maine will be admitted as a Free State, MO can be added as a Slave State  No more slaves in Louisiana Territory  MO drafts a Constitution that prohibited FREE blacks from entering

Missouri Compromise  2 nd Missouri Compromise  1821  Henry Clay pushes agreement that prohibits MO from discriminating against citizens from other states  But… –Can Free blacks be citizens in Missouri?  Southern Victory? –Slavery north of 36 o 30’

Missouri Compromise

Compromise of 1850  Background  Wilmot Proviso  When Texas, California, New Mexico territories added, only TX would have slavery  Had been illegal in Mexico  Assumed that TX would be the last slave state

Compromise of 1850  Free Soil Movement –Northerners who didn’t want slavery extended to any new territories  Texas had claimed parts of Eastern New Mexico  No one likes the idea of a line to the Pacific marking where slavery can be legal –North—no one should have it –South—Congress can’t do it

Compromise of 1850  Zachary Taylor, President had resisted compromise (anti-Slave, even though he owns them)  Secession talk among the “fire- eaters” in the South  Dies in office, Millard Fillmore more amicable to compromise  Another series of compromises approved  Again, engineered by Henry Clay

Compromise of 1850  California gets statehood as Free State  Popular Sovereignty  Territorial status for Utah and New Mexico—get to choose for themselves  Resolve TX-NM border disagreement  Federal Gov’t assumes Texas’s debt  No more slave trading in D.C.—whites can still own slaves  New Fugitive Slave Law, rigorously enforced

Compromise of 1850

Kansas-Nebraska Act  Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois wants to have a trans-continental Railroad, with major terminus in Chicago –(he owns some land)  Southern Democrats wanted a more southerly route  Gets railroad money passed by attaching to a bill to divide Nebraska Territory into Kansas and Nebraska

Kansas-Nebraska Act  Settlers would have choice whether or not to adopt legal slavery  Appealing to South—would allow slavery legally above 36 o 30’ –Had been closed by Missouri Compromise  Passed and signed by President Pierce in 1854

Kansas-Nebraska Act  In effect, it nullifies the Missouri Compromise  Creates more sectional tensions in Congress  A new party is formed among Northerners and Westerners who do not want slavery spread any further  REPUBLICANS

Kansas-Nebraska Act

 How does this lead to controversy in Congress later on?  The Lecompton Constitution