Ross Chezem
1/29/12
3B
Assess the moral arguments and political actions of those who opposed to the
spread of slavery in the context of the Missouri Compromise and the Mexican War
The spread of slavery had several people who opposed it and several people who
supported it. The moral arguments and political actions of those opposed to the spread of slavery
were: it violated the ideas America was founded upon, The Declaration of Independence clearly
states that all men are created equal, and slavery had to be abolished in order for US to succeed
as a democratic society in the context of the Missouri Compromise and the Mexican War.
The spread of slavery violated the ideas America was founded upon. IN the context of
the Missouri Compromise Congress passed a law that Missouri could be a salve state and that all
US territory south of the line of 36 degrees and 30’ could be made into slave states, while all
territory north of 36 degrees and 30’ was all free territory. In the context of the Mexican war,
some people wanted the state of Texas in order to spread slavery. In response to this Congress
didn’t annex the state of Texas till 9 years later because it would have thrown off balance of free
states and slave states. In both contexts of the Mexican War and Missouri Compromise the
Congress took part in trying to stop the spread of slavery to lessen their power and say in the in
the House of Representatives.
A reason for the moral arguments and political actions of those who opposed slavery was
because the Declaration of Independence clearly states that all men are equal. The choice by
Congress to limit the amount of territory that is considered slave territory through the Missouri
Compromise demonstrates this. Congress’ choice to claim Texas as state 9 years later
demonstrates the influence of those opposed to slavery because they knew if they claimed Texas
immediately that it would cause conflict over the spread of slavery. In both contexts of the
Missouri Compromise and the Mexican War the influence of those opposed to slavery affected
the decisions of Congress to try and uphold the fact that the Declaration of Independence says
that all men are created equal.
The spread of slavery had to be stopped because in order for the US to succeed as a
democratic society, slavery had to be abolished. The line dividing free states and slave states set
in the Missouri Compromise was influenced by those who opposed slavery because it limited the
amount of slave territory, making it a subtle step towards abolishing slavery. The fact that the
US didn’t claim Texas as a state until 9 years after the Texicans dispute with Mexico was to keep
the spreading of slavery issue out of sight and out of mind. IN both cases of the Missouri
Compromise and the Mexican War the Abolitionists and other people who opposed slavery tried
to subtly step towards the end of the spread of slavery because they realized slavery had to be
stopped to have the US succeed in achieving a democratic society.
In the context of the Missouri Compromise and the Mexican War the moral arguments
and political actions of those who opposed slavery were based upon the following: slavery
violated the very principles that America was founded upon, all men are created equal is clearly
stated in the Declaration of Independence, and slavery had to be abolished in order for the US to
succeed as a democratic society.