Overview
This lecture examines the causes, provisions, and consequences of the Compromise of 1850, with focus on the Fugitive Slave Act and key reactions in the North and South.
Issues Leading to the Compromise of 1850
- The Mexican-American War added new western territories, sparking debate over slavery's expansion.
- The Wilmot Proviso proposed banning slavery in new territories but never became law; it deepened sectional tensions.
- The Free-Soil Party formed to keep western territories free of slavery, aiming to protect white labor.
- Southern slaveholders argued for the right to bring enslaved people west and threatened secession.
Brokering the Compromise
- Key issues included slavery in the Mexican Cession, the slave trade in DC, fugitive slave laws, and the Texas-New Mexico border.
- The 1848 election avoided addressing slavery, but California's admission as a free state became urgent after the Gold Rush.
- Henry Clay proposed an omnibus bill with several resolutions, triggering intense debates.
- John C. Calhoun blamed the North for threatening southern prosperity and hinted at disunion.
- Daniel Webster called for national unity and compromise.
- President Taylor opposed Clay’s plan, but his death allowed Vice President Fillmore to support compromise.
- Stephen Douglas separated Clay’s proposals into five bills, collectively known as the Compromise of 1850.
Provisions and Outcomes of the Compromise
- Fugitive Slave Act strengthened; California admitted as a free state.
- Texas-New Mexico border settled in favor of New Mexico; federal government paid Texas’s debts.
- Slave trade ended in Washington, DC, but slavery remained legal there.
- Popular sovereignty let territories decide on slavery by majority vote.
- The compromise acted as a temporary truce, not a lasting solution.
The Fugitive Slave Act and its Consequences
- The Act penalized those aiding escaped enslaved people and forced northerners to act as slave-catchers.
- Federal commissioners could decide cases without juries; financial incentives favored returning accused people to slavery.
- Fear of a "Slave Power" controlling the federal government increased in the North.
- The Underground Railroad, aided by figures like Harriet Tubman, helped thousands escape, often to Canada.
Northern Responses and Abolitionist Efforts
- The Fugitive Slave Act provoked outrage and resistance, including violent confrontations and large protests.
- Anthony Burns’s arrest and return to slavery in Boston intensified northern opposition.
- Personal liberty laws in northern states protected accused freedom-seekers and challenged the federal law.
Cultural Impact: Uncle Tom’s Cabin
- Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel depicted slavery’s cruelty, influenced public opinion, and energized the abolitionist cause.
- The book demonstrated the impact of women on shaping political and moral discourse.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Mexican Cession — Territory gained by the US after the Mexican-American War.
- Wilmot Proviso — Proposed law to ban slavery in territories from Mexico; never passed.
- Free-Soil Party — Political party focused on preventing slavery’s expansion.
- Popular Sovereignty — Principle letting territories vote on slavery.
- Fugitive Slave Act — 1850 law requiring the return of escaped enslaved people.
- Underground Railroad — Network helping enslaved people escape to free states or Canada.
- Personal Liberty Laws — State laws protecting alleged freedom-seekers from federal capture.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Read the memoirs of Levi Coffin on Documenting the American South.
- Review the text of Michigan’s 1855 personal liberty laws and compare to the Fugitive Slave Act.
- Prepare to discuss how literature like Uncle Tom’s Cabin influenced public opinion about slavery.