Overview
This lecture examines the intense political crisis over slavery in the 1850s, leading to the Compromise of 1850, increased sectional tensions, and the eventual breakdown of compromise before the Civil War.
The Mexican War and Sectional Tensions
- Wilmot Proviso (1846) sought to exclude slavery from territories gained from Mexico, increasing North-South tension.
- President Zachary Taylor proposed admitting California as a free state and organizing New Mexico as a territory.
Clay's Compromise Proposals and Senate Debates
- Henry Clay presented eight resolutions combining pro-North and pro-South compromises.
- Resolutions included California as a free state, settling Texas-New Mexico boundary, abolishing slave trade (not slavery) in D.C., and a stricter Fugitive Slave Law.
- Calhoun opposed compromise, blaming Northern aggression and demanding new protections for the South.
- Daniel Webster urged national unity, calling for North-South understanding but was ambiguous on which plan he supported.
- William H. Seward argued against compromise, referencing a "higher law" than the Constitution—God’s law.
Passage of the Compromise of 1850
- Clay's proposals initially failed; President Taylor died and was succeeded by Millard Fillmore, who supported compromise.
- Stephen A. Douglas broke up Clay's proposals and passed them separately, resulting in the Compromise of 1850.
- Key terms: California admitted as a free state, new Fugitive Slave Law, abolition of slave trade in D.C., no slavery restrictions in Utah or New Mexico territories.
Resistance to the Fugitive Slave Act
- The Fugitive Slave Act sparked widespread Northern resistance and several high-profile slave rescue cases (e.g., Ellen and William Craft, Shadrach Minkins, Thomas Sims).
- Federal efforts to enforce the law escalated tensions and sometimes led to violence (e.g., Christiana Riot).
- The underground railroad was less organized than legend suggests; most escapes relied on individual initiative and small networks.
Decline of Old Political Leadership
- The deaths of Henry Clay and Daniel Webster marked the end of compromise-oriented national statesmanship.
- Sectional leadership became less willing to broker compromises, increasing polarization.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Wilmot Proviso — Proposed law to ban slavery in territory acquired from Mexico; failed but increased tensions.
- Compromise of 1850 — Series of laws aiming to balance interests of slave and free states following the Mexican War.
- Fugitive Slave Act — 1850 law requiring that escaped slaves be returned to their owners, even from free states.
- Underground Railroad — Loose network assisting escaped slaves to reach freedom, mainly operated by free blacks and abolitionists.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review material on Bleeding Kansas, the Dred Scott decision, Lincoln-Douglas debates, and John Brown’s raid for next lecture.