Compromise to Secession

Political Issue: Expansion of Slavery

The central political issue in the mid-19th century U.S. was whether to allow the expansion of slavery into newly acquired Western lands, not necessarily the morality of slavery itself.

Conflicting Views: Freedom, Democracy, Opportunity, Equality

Northerners and Southerners used key words like freedom, democracy, opportunity, and equality to argue opposite sides of the slavery issue, highlighting fundamentally different interpretations of these values.

Northern Perspective: Majority Rule & Free Labor

Northerners believed in majority rule and the free labor ideology, emphasizing the right to choose one's work and wages freely, which contrasted sharply with slavery.

Southern Perspective: Minority Rights & Property Rights

Southerners viewed themselves as a political minority whose property rights, including slave ownership, were threatened by a hostile Northern majority.