1. The Road to Secession Part 1
The 1850s:
Unit 7
PP 7.1
The Road to Secession
Part 1

3. What is the connection to membership in congress and voting power in congress?

4. The more members you have in the House of Representatives the more votes(power) you have.

5. How might adding new states have an important impact on the voting power in congress?

6. How is westward expansion driving sectionalist feelings?

7. Wilmot Proviso
In 1846 David Wilmot proposes adding language to a bill in Congress proposing that “neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall ever exist” in any territory the US might get in a war with Mexico

8. Wilmot Proviso
That means NO SLAVERY in California, Utah and New Mexico

10. United States: 1850

11. Support splits along sectional lines:
The NORTH supporting the provision
– because of the economic opportunities it would give workers
The SOUTH opposing
- on Constitutional grounds about the rights people had with their property (slaves) and
- the power it would give to the North in congress

12. Proviso Fails
The proviso failed to be passed but the crisis is not over
In 1849 California applies for statehood as a FREE state

13. What to do?
South felt California should be admitted as a slave state because most of it was below the Missouri Compromise line

14. Free or Slave? President Zachary Taylor (a southerner)
Supported CA’s admission as a free state
Felt that whether a state was free or slave should be up to them
Popular Sovereignty
the people should decide

15. Congress begins to debate
Issues:
a) California statehood – slave or free
b) Border dispute between Texas (slave) and New Mexico (undecided)
Other Concerns:
c) North demands slavery be abolished in DC
d) South Accuses North of not enforcing the Fugitive Slave Act

16. To the Rescue! (Again: sort of)
Compromise proposed by Henry Clay
“The Great Compromiser”

17. Path to Compromise Initial plan rejected by the Senate
Clay (73 at the time – dies 1852) leaves Washington and Stephen Douglas takes up the fight

18. Path to Compromise/Compromise of 1850
Douglass introduces each piece of the bill one at a time
President Taylor dies and is replaced by Millard Fillmore who supports the compromise
John Calhoun dies and southern leaders support the compromise
Compromise is voted into law in September 1850

19. Compromise of 1850 Who is happy?
North
Provision
South
Happy
CA admitted as free
Not Happy
Stricter enforcement of Fugitive Slave Law
Utah and New Mexico decide for themselves slave or free -
TX was paid $10 million to settle land dispute with New Mexico
Slave trade banned in DC – slavery not

20. Compromise of 1850

21. Compromise of 1850
Let’s look more closely at one of the provisions of the compromise…
Fugitive Slave Acts

22. Fugitive Slave Act
Required that private citizens help apprehend runaway slaves
Judges who ruled in favor of slave owners earned $10, those who ruled for captive to be set free $5
Enraged northerners: passed personal liberty laws
Allowed states to arrest slave catchers for kidnapping

23. Issues with New Arrivals to U.S.
Large number of people moving from Europe
Most are moving to North and working in factories
Increased competition for jobs

24. German Irish Immigrants Immigrants

25. Know-Nothings Formed around 1849-50
Really called the American Party but because they used a secret handshake and said “I know nothing” when asked about their activities they soon were called the Know-Nothings
Supported:
Longer naturalization period
Opposed:
Immigrants
Catholics (Pope threatened
democracy)

26. The “Know-Nothings” [The American Party]
Nativists.
Anti-Catholics.
Anti-immigrants.
1849 → Secret Order of the Star- Spangled Banner created in NYC.