Slavery & the West

Slavery & the West “The deed is done. The…chains of slavery are forged for (many) yet unborn. Humble yourselves in the dust, ye high-minded citizens of Connecticut. Let your cheeks be red as crimson. On your representatives rests the stigma of this foul disgrace.” Connecticut Newspaper 1820

The Missouri Compromise Missouri applied for admission as a state in 1819 causing an angry debate worrying Thomas Jefferson and John Quincy Adams.

The Missouri Compromise Jefferson called it “a fire-bell in the night.” Adams called it “a title page to a great tragic volume.”

The Missouri Compromise By 1819 50,000 settlers moved into the Missouri Territory with 10,000 slaves. In 1819 there 11 slave states and 11 free states thus the Senate had a balance of power of 22 Senators each. The admission of a new state would upset that balance.

The Missouri Compromise The North and the South were competing for new lands in the West; The North with an industrial economy and the South with an agrarian economy.

The Missouri Compromise At the same time There were Northerners who wanted to restrict or ban slavery. Southerners, even those opposed to slavery, disliked antislavery efforts.

The Missouri Compromise These loyalties of the North & South developed into sectionalism- an exaggerated allegiance to a particular region of the country.

Henry Clay’s Proposal The Senate suggested a resolution to the problem by admitting Maine, a free state, & Missouri, a slave state, at the same time. This resolved the member numbers in the Senate issue.

Henry Clay’s Proposal The Senate also sought to settle the slavery issue in the new territories for good by prohibiting slavery above the 36-30 latitude of land acquired in the Louisiana Purchase. Henry Clay put the Missouri Compromise together simmering the slave issue in 1820.

New Western Lands In the 1840’s the issue returned with Texas New Mexico, & California becoming territories. There was pressure from the South to see to it these territories would be slave territories.

New Western Lands Polk annexed Texas in 1845. The federal actions on the New Mexico and California territory along with the border dispute in Texas led to the war with Mexico.

New Western Lands Just after the war with Mexico began, Congressman David Wilmot introduced the Wilmot Provisio-specifying slavery should be prohibited in lands acquired from Mexico. Southerners were angered by this move.

New Western Lands Senator John Calhoun of SC countered with a proposal that said neither Congress nor any territorial government had the authority to ban slavery. Neither of Wilmot’s nor Calhoun’s proposals passed.

Free-Soil Party The debate over slavery led to the formation of a new political party: the Free-Soil Party The Whigs & the Democrats did not take a stand on slavery angering many voters. These voters would soon join the Free- Soil Party.

Free-Soil Party The Free-Soil Party endorsed “free soil, free speech, free labor, & free men.” Martin van Buren would be the Free-Soil candidate but would be defeated by the Whig Zachary Taylor.

Free-Soil Party Although Van Buren lost the election, several seats in Congress were picked up by the Free-Soil Party.

California Zachary Taylor, once in office urged California & New Mexico to apply for statehood. New Mexico did not, but California did in 1850. Obstacles to Taylors plan was a concern over the balance of power in the Senate.

California If California was admitted the Senate would be split evenly 15-15 Slave states to free states. If New Mexico, Oregon, and Utah were admitted as free states, the South would be hopelessly out voted in the Senate.

New Compromise A compromise presented by then Sen. Henry 1- Make CA a free state;2- No restrictions to slavery in the NM Territory;3- The NM TX border dispute settled in favor of NM. 4- slave trade abolished in DC, not slavery 5- Fugitive Slave laws strengthen.

New Compromise Clays plan did not pass as a complete package. Taylor opposed the plan and threatened to use force if the South Seceded.

Compromise of 1850 Taylor would die in office and new President Millard Fillmore supported some points of clay’s proposal. Sen. Stephen O Douglas took Clays plan and divided it into 5 separate bills.

Compromise of 1850 President Millard Fillmore would advise the Whigs to abstain (not vote) from voting on these bills. Congress would pass the bills containing clay’s 5 main points. This would be known as the Compromise of 1850.

Compromise of 1850 Fillmore would call this the “final settlement” of the conflict between the North & South. Fillmore would soon be proven wrong.