Chapter 10 Section 3: New Political Parties
Effects of the Missouri Compromise Compromise maintained the balance in the Senate between slave & free states & stated that any states to be created out of land north of the 36 degrees 30 minutes north latitude would be free states Issue was with land in the west
Northerners feared all of the land acquired from Mexico would become slave states Election of 1848 –Democrat Lewis Cass –Whig Zachary Taylor –Many people were angry at both parties for not addressing slavery Split & formed the Free Soil Party
The Compromise of 1850 CA asked to join the Union as a free state Clay proposes a compromise –Admit CA as a free state –NM & Utah would decide for themselves to allow slavery
Congress would abolish the sale of slaves in DC Texas would give up claims to NM for $10 million Fugitive Slave Act would allow for the return of escaped slaves
Calhoun Opposes Compromise Felt north had “exclusive power of controlling the government” Believed the southern states had the right to leave the union if that were necessary for their own protection Believed that stopping slavery was morally wrong
Webster Favors Compromise Spoke for preservation of the union Outraged his longtime supporters Congress approves compromise –Compromise essentially solved nothing
Changes in Political Parties Decline of the Whigs –1850’s –Badly hurt by the slavery issue –Old issues had been resolved Banks Strong leaders were dead or dying
Rise of the Know Nothings Fear of immigrants led to the Order of the Star Spangled Banner –Complete secrecy –Always replied to questions about the organization “I know nothing”
Went public in 1854 & formed the American Party –Pledged to work against Irish Catholic candidates & to campaign for laws requiring immigrants to wait longer before they could become citizens
The Kansas- Nebraska Act Stephen Douglas, Illinois Senator brought up the slavery issue again Wanted to run for President –Needed support of Southern Democrats
Under the Compromise of 1820, Kansas & Nebraska would be free states & south would blame Douglas Supported the practice of popular sovereignty –Repealed Missouri Compromise –Outraged northerners
The Creation of the Republican Party Members dedicated themselves to stopping the “slave power” Declared slavery a great moral evil & vowed to fight against its extension into new territories Demanded the repeal of the KS- NE & Fugitive Slave Acts