Compromise of 1850 and Political Upheaval

Territorial Expansion and the Slavery Question

• The Mexican War led to significant territorial expansion for the U.S., but it also intensified the debate over slavery.
• The central question became: What should be done about slavery in the newly acquired territories?

The Wilmot Proviso

• Congressman David Wilmot of Pennsylvania introduced the Wilmot Proviso during a congressional appropriations bill to pay for the Mexican War.
• The proviso stated that "neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall ever exist in any territories acquired from Mexico."
• This sparked a heated debate in Congress, with congressmen voting along sectional lines (North vs. South) rather than party lines (Whigs vs. Democrats).
• The proviso passed in the House but failed in the Senate.

Popular Sovereignty

• Senator Lewis Cass proposed the idea of popular sovereignty, which would allow the citizens of each territory to decide the issue of slavery for themselves.
• Popular sovereignty had different appeals, to different people:
  • Those hoping for free territories believed the people would vote against slavery.
  • Those hoping for slave territories believed the people would vote in favor of slavery.
• The problem with popular sovereignty was indecision. The status of slavery would not be determined until settlers arrived and voted.
• This discouraged Southern slaveholders from moving into the territories with their slaves, as they risked losing their property if the vote went against them.

Election of 1848

• Lewis Cass was the Democratic nominee, running on the platform of popular sovereignty.
• General Zachary Taylor was the Whig candidate. He was a Louisiana slaveholder but did not take a firm position on slavery in the territories.
  • Southerners hoped he would sympathize with their views.
  • Northerners were hopeful that his neutrality signaled a lack of support for the expansion of slavery.
• Taylor was a war hero, which boosted his popularity. He had never even voted in a presidential election before.
• Two sectional parties emerged:
  • John Calhoun ran on a Southern party ticket.
  • Martin Van Buren ran on the Free Soil Party ticket, advocating for free soil in the new territories.
• Taylor won the election, capitalizing on his war hero status.

Key Issues and the Debate in Congress

• California applied for statehood as a free state, threatening the balance of power between free and slave states.
• The Texas-New Mexico border was in dispute and needed to be resolved.
• Slavery existed in Washington D.C., prompting calls for its abolition in the nation's capital.
• The Fugitive Slave Act needed to be addressed. Southerners sought a stronger law to ensure the return of runaway slaves.

The Compromise of 1850

• Henry Clay attempted to address all these issues in one comprehensive bill, but it failed.
• Clay became ill and died.
• Senator Stephen Douglas of Illinois took over, breaking the compromise into individual parts to be debated and voted on separately.
• The strategy was successful, and the Compromise of 1850 was passed.
• The compromise aimed to avert war by addressing sectional differences.

Provisions of the Compromise of 1850

• California was admitted to the Union as a free state, upsetting the balance between free and slave states.
• Popular sovereignty would be applied in the New Mexico and Utah territories.
• The Texas-New Mexico border was settled, with Texas ceding the disputed territory, giving Texas its unique shape.
• The slave trade was abolished in Washington D.C., but slavery itself remained legal.
• A stronger Fugitive Slave Act was enacted to appease the South.

Fugitive Slave Act Details

• Accused fugitive slaves were denied jury trials.
• Their cases were heard by special commissioners, who were paid based on the outcome of the case:
  • $10 if they determined the person was a runaway slave.
  • $5 if they determined the person was free.
• Northern citizens were required to assist in the return of fugitive slaves.

Reactions to the Compromise

• The Compromise of 1850 temporarily resolved tensions, but it also exacerbated sectional divisions.
• Northern states were infuriated by the Fugitive Slave Act.
• Some Northern states passed personal liberty laws to obstruct the capture and return of runaway slaves, using state officials.
• Abolitionists in the North were further motivated to end slavery nationwide.
• Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom's Cabin was published, portraying the harsh reality of slavery and intensifying anti-slavery sentiment in the North.
• The book was condemned in the South for its negative depiction of slavery.

Election of 1852 and New Parties

• In the election of 1852, parties downplayed the slavery issue.
• Franklin Pierce, a Democrat, won the election.
• The Whig Party began to disintegrate.
• The American Party, also known as the