AH History
Guide 3 Summary
Missouri Compromise
 The compromise was agreed in
early 1850 and it admitted Maine
as a free state and Missouri as a
slave state in order to maintain
the balance of power
 Most importantly though , it
meant that all territories
purchased in the Louisiana
Purchase above the line 36
degrees 30 mins North were to
be free and states below this line
were to be slave.
Texas
 Texas gained its independence after The Alamo fell in
March 1836
 Most Southerners supported the inclusion of Texas as a state
within the union and most northerners opposed it because
many feared it would lead to a war with Mexico.
 Northerners made an allegation that the Texas issue was part
of a ‘slave power conspiracy’ because it was large enough to
be split into a number of states which would tip the balance
between free states and slave states heavily in the South’s
favour.
 Thus Texas caused sectional tension between North and
South.
Manifest Destiny
“It is our manifest destiny to
overspread and to possess
the whole of the continent
which province has given
us for the development of
the great experiment of
liberty and federated selfgovernment entrusted to
us.” – John O’Sullivan.
What was ‘manifest destiny’?
 “The belief common in America in the early 1800s that
it was the destiny or fate of the US to expand west to
the Pacific Ocean.” – David Burns
 The Democrats (particularly in the South) generally
endorsed the idea of ‘manifest destiny’.
 Northern Whigs, however, were sceptical. According
to Alan Farmer, they considered it to be “a smoke
screen aimed at concealing the evil intent of expanding
slavery”.
President James Polk
President James K. Polk
is mainly known for
being the catalyst for
the Mexican War
(1846-48).
He wanted to gain the
New Mexico and
California territories.
How was he a catalyst?
 After failing to come to an agreement with the
Mexican government over the purchase of New
Mexico and California, he sent American troops
into the disputed Texas-Mexico area, hoping to
provoke an incident which would lead to a war.
 In May 1846, Mexican troops crossed the Rio
Grande and ambushed American troops. Polk
jumped at this chance to declare war, claiming that
Mexicans had “shed American blood on American
soil”.
How was he a catalyst?
 He asked Congress to acknowledge the fact that
war “[existed] by the act of Mexico herself” and to
vote money to fight it.
 This was met with some opposition, particularly
from Northern Whigs, but was mainly supported.
 Southerners especially supported the war;
Northerners were sceptical, seeing it as a Southern
war of aggression.
The Result of the War
 The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed
in February 1848, ceding California and New
Mexico to the USA.
 Although the US had gained everything it
had gone to war for, Polk felt that even more
territory might have been gained.
Wilmot Proviso
 David Wilmot was a Democrat
 Wanted slavery excluded from the new territories
gained from the Mexican War
 Polarised the debate – North v South
 Why did he do it? Was he unhappy about his lack of
political position? Did he feel southern Democrats
too influential?
 There were various reasons for supporting the
Proviso.
California
 The sudden, and
unexpected, application
of California for
statehood further
agitated the Sectional
Conflict as the issue of
Slavery in new
territories was again
brought to the fore.
1848 Election
 As a result of the Wilmot Proviso this election was
dominated by the politics of slavery
 In order to win the election both the Whigs and Democrats
attempted to diffuse the issue of slavery. Whigs were united
under a slogan of “No Territory” so that no new territory
from the war with Mexico meant that the issue of slavery
could not evolve.
 Uniting the Democrats was more difficult but they
eventually united under the policy of “popular sovereignty”.
 The winner was Zachary Taylor for the Whigs.
President Taylor
 He was the winner of the 1848 Presidential election as a
Whig.
 Although a Southerner he was adamant to act in the best
interests of the entire nation.
 The first major issue which he had to deal with was the
territories of New Mexico and California. Surprisingly, he
acted decisively and quickly.
 Although Taylor wished to avoid the spread of slavery he
was not an abolitionist and felt that slavery was best
defended by it not expanding
 When it came to the 1850 crisis Taylor was not willing to
compromise and the only reason a compromise was reached
was due to his death of gastro-enteritis on 9th June 1850.
President Taylor
Popular Sovereignty
 Thomas Jefferson described the issue of slavery’s
existence in the new territories as a “momentous
question”.
 The idea of popular sovereignty is particularly
associated with Senators Lewis Cass and Stephen
Douglas, two Mid-Western Democrats.
 New settlers, not Congress, should decide for
themselves whether or not slavery would be
allowed in the new territories.
What were the responses to
popular sovereignty?
NORTH
 Acceptable, as it was
unlikely that new
settlers would have
interest in slavery – the
climate in the new
territories was
unsuitable for cotton
plantations.
SOUTH
 Acceptable – it
endorsed non-Federal
intervention and meant
that slavery could be
expanded.
However:
 Congress had previously had the power to
decide what should happen in the territories –
did popular sovereignty undermine this
power?
 When should the decision be made?
- North: as early as possible
- South: delayed, so that slaves would
initially be allowed in the territories.
Opposition to Popular
Sovereignty:
NORTH
Slavery should never
have a chance to
expand.
SOUTH
Slave-owners should be
allowed to take their
‘property’ anywhere
they wished.
Stephen Douglas
 Stephen Douglas was an
American politician and
was Democratic nominee
for President in 1860.
 He took part in a series of
famous debates with
Lincoln but lost to him in
the 1860 election.
 He was largely responsible
for the compromise of
1850 that apparently settled
slavery issues.
 Caused political upheaval when
he proposed the Kansas
Nebraska act in 1854. 1820
compromise had guaranteed that
slavery would not exist there.
Douglas argued that the people
of the territory should decide
them slavery question by
themselves, but that because of
the unsuitability of the soil and
climate for plantations, it would
remain free.
 He was committed to popular
sovereignty
 He was depicted as a Northern
doughface- A traitor to his
section
Henry Clay
 Clay was a slave owner
and sympathised with the
south however he hated
slavery. ‘With a foot in
each camp’ he had a
reputation as a conciliator.
 He gave a four hour long
speech on the 18 50
compromise
 He warned the South about
the evils of secession and
assured the North that
nature would check the
spread of slavery more
effectively than a thousand
Wilmot Provisos
 He was opposed to
admitting Texas as a state
because he felt that it
would reawaken the
slavery issue and provoke
Mexico.
John Calhoun
 Calhoun led the pro-slavery
faction in the Senate, opposing
both abolitionism and attempts
to limit the expansion of slavery
into the western territories.
 Calhoun was a major advocate
of the Fugitive slave law, which
enforced the co-operation of
Free States in returning escaping
slaves.
 When he first entered Congress
he had been an American
nationalist, supporting increasing
Federal power.
 This changed in the late 1820s
and developed the Doctrine of
Nullification. This proclaimed
the right of any state to overrule
or modify any federal law
deemed unconstitutional.
 He claimed that citizens from
every state had the right to
migrate and take their
property(slaves) with them.
 He felt that the North had no
right to ‘ride rough-shod’ over
the rights of the South and if it
continued then the South would
have no choice but to secede
1850 Compromise
 All of the issues in the 1850 compromise had sectional
roots:
 What to do about California and other territory gained
from Mexico
 What to do about slavery in such new territory
 What to do about the boundaries of Texas and debts
owed to its citizens
 What to do about the slave trade in Washington DC
 What to do about the Fugitive slave law versus Personal
Liberty Laws
1850 Compromise contd.
 The leader of those politicians who sought to
appease the South was Henry Clay and he proposed
an Omnibus Bill
 The compromise made little headway until the
death of President Taylor on 9th July 1850
 As a result of this a President willing to appease
came into power and eventually the Omnibus Bill
was passed when it was split into smaller pieces by
Stephen Douglas.
Results of the
1850 Compromise
 California was to be a free state
 New Mexico and Utah were to be territories with no
reference to slavery restrictions
 The slave trade was banned in Washington DC
 $10m was set aside to pay the debt owed to Texans
 The New Mexico-Texas boundary dispute was
settled
 A stronger Fugitive Slave law was to be put in
place.
The Fugitive Slave Act
 Denied fugitives the right of a trial by jury
 Denied fugitives the right to testify on their own
behalf
 Authorised the organizations of posses to pursue
fugitives on Northern ground
 Also targeted those who had fled years, even
decades, before, not just recent runaways
 Fugitives were now only safe if they made it to
Canada
Reactions to the Act
NORTH
 Generally appalled
 Frederick Douglass urged
defiance
 Some saw it as a price to
pay to save the Union
 But most were disgusted
by it.
SOUTH
 Saw it as a test of Northern
goodwill
 Resented the Northern
response to the law (see
next slide).
Was it effective?
 Northern states passed laws which made it
almost impossible to put Federal law into
practise
 Most Southerners did not consider the financial
cost of bringing back slaves worthwhile
 Only 332 slaves were ever returned to their
owners
 Few slaves tried to escape anyway
1852 Election
 This was the last election before the war in which
the parties managed to restrict debate about slavery
 The candidates were Franklin Pierce for Democrats
and General Winfield Scott for the Whigs
 Pierce won a landslide victory and Scott only
managed to take 4 states.
President Pierce
 Franklin Pierce was the winner of the 1852
Presidential election as a Democrat.
 Pierce strongly hoped that the 1850
Compromise had settled the issue of slavery
 Pierce had a strong expansionist policy and
his failed attempts to purchase new territory
for the South only created commotion to stir
up the Slave Power Conspiracy.
President Pierce