Chapter 14.1
Growing Tensions Over Slavery
Key Terms and People
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Popular sovereignty
Secede
Fugitive
Henry Clay
John Calhoun
Daniel Webster
Why It Matters
• The Missouri Compromise of 1820 helped settle the
slavery issue for awhile
• The Mexican War which added new territory will stir
the slavery issue again
• This renewed the struggle over “states’ rights’ and
slavery
Slavery and the Mexican-American War
1820-1846: 4 new free states and 4
slaveholding states entered in the Union
The Wilmot Proviso
• Missouri Compromise only dealt with Louisiana
Territory
• David Wilmot proposed that Congress ban any
slavery in the Mexican Cession
• Passed the House of Representative but slide to a
stop in the Senate. Why?
The Antislavery Party
• Rise of new political party arose over the issue or
problem of slavery
• Democrats and Whigs would not take a stand on
slavery.
Popular Sovereignty
• Proposed by Senator Cass of Michigan that allowed
people made the decision by voting rather or not
there would be slavery.
• The Democrats and Whigs that wanted to address
the problem of slavery formed the
Martin Van Buren Again
• Free-Soil Party chooses Martin Van Buren to be
there candidate in the 1848 presidential elections
• They called for “free-soil” in the Mexican Cession
Zachary Taylor Wins
1848 Elections
• Martin Van Buren: Free-Soil Party
• Lewis Cass: Democrat
• Zachary Taylor: Whig
Zachary Taylor
Bitter Debate
Page 484
• California wants enter the Union as a free State
• Upset the Balance
• South will secede if admission into the Union will
upset the balance in the Senate
• South also angry over the runaway slaves that many
Northerners helped escape
Henry Clay saves the day!
• He proposed the Compromise
of 1850
• Daniel Webster supported this compromise
• John C. Calhoun was clearly disagreed with this
compromise
Compromise of 1850
• California becomes a Free State
• The North will return slaves under the Fugitive Slave
Act:
• Banned selling slaves in Washington, DC
• Popular Sovereignty
Important stuff
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Wilmot Proviso
Free-Soil Party
Proposed California statehood
Bitter Conflict over Slavery