1. Chapter 14.1 Growing Tensions over Slavery
The Missouri Compromise seemed to calm tensions between the north and south But the Mexican American War added new territories and new arguments over power

2. I. Slavery and the Mexican American War
During this time both new slave states and new free states expanded the country and tensions in the U.S.
The south at this point seemed to have the advantage with regards to power

3. A. The Wilmot Proviso
The new land gained from the war was not affected by the Missouri Compromise so feeling the south had gained more power representative David Wilmot of Pennsylvania proposed that all new additions from the war be slave free
He called this the Wilmot Proviso, however it never made it through the senate and the south felt like the north was attacking their ideals with these new ideas

4. B. An Anti-slavery Party
New political parties were on
the rise because of the Proviso.
A presidential candidate from Michigan Lewis Cass proposed that new areas have popular sovereignty or idea that the people of the state/ territory vote on all their own issues rather then elected officials doing all the work

5. Many leaders wanted to take a stand on ending slavery
The new party that was created was called the free soil party and they believed that all new land should be
free soil for all people
Former President Van Buren
was a leader for the Free Soil
Party but they didn’t win
the next election instead
Zachery Taylor war
veteran won

6. II. A Bitter Debate
After the Gold rush California had enough people to become a state
Then began the arguments for it to be a slave/free state both sides wanted it.
Southern states threatened to secede if it became a free state and the north not only wanted California but also Washington D.C. to be free

7. Finally Henry Clay (the great compromiser) helped come up with a solution to the crisis
He came up with a series of proposals for both the north and the south for the compromise but senator John C. Calhoun was against it, but unfortunately he would fall ill and die in a few weeks and never was able to see his arguments to Clay become
successful

8. He argued that allowing Calif
He argued that allowing Calif. As a free state would expose the South to continued attacks on slavery and he could only come up with 2 ways to protest this:
Constitutional amendments
Secede or leave the union of the United States completely

9. 3 days later Massachusetts senator Daniel Webster came to support Clay’s ideas and wanted to end the bitter division between the north and south
The big question is what side or view will prevail? The existence of the United States will depend on this