Name: ___________________________________ Compromise of 1850 Simulation Voting on the Compromise bill: Note each senator’s position on each issue. You do not have to complete the row for your own senator. California Statehood Utah & New Mexico Territories Fugitive Slave Law DC Slave Trade Vote for California to be admitted as a free state Vote to allow the new territories to vote how they want – popular sovereignty Would vote for it because he had slaves himself and didn’t want to upset the states Vote for making the slave trade illegal but not slavery itself Vote against voting in California in as a free state – for slavery and wants slavery to expand Vote for – it would make it a Vote for it because senator is slave state due to the fact it goes pro-slavery and would want his with the Missouri compromise slaves returned. They are their property Vote for both slave trade and slavery itself because senator believes in slavery and its benefits Wants to vote cali as a free state because he does not want slavery to spread Popular sovereignty – let the people residing in the place decide Would support enforcement because he specifically mentioned he would aid in unity between north and south. Would make the slave trade illegal but would keep slavery itself Against slavery – admit them in as a free state – representative of industrialization Allow people to vote but they are industrialized and depend on cotton. Doesn’t like slavery but for industrialization and need cotton Do not support slavery so he will vote against it – have defended black people in court For the slave trade because it is correlated to business and industrialization. Outlaw slavery everywhere else Personally against slavery so he will vote against the laws Support slave trade because it benefits people economically. Slavery remains. Henry Clay John C. Calhoun Daniel Webster William Seward Stephen Douglas Cali should be admitted as a Citizens should be able to vote – free state as citizens are against common people have a bigger slavery and they are already vote in the government free Name: ___________________________________ Compromise of 1850 Simulation Closer/Debrief: 1. How did the Compromise of 1850 attempt to appeal to the North and South in order to gain support for passage? (how did the provisions benefit each side) What would your senator have liked and disliked in the final compromise? The compromise appealed to the south because it allowed them to have their slaves returned and they were able to continue with their slave methods and got no restrictions on slavery in the new territories. The compromise appealed to the North because it prohibited the slave trade in Washington D.C. and because Texas lost the New Mexico territory. My senator would have liked the outcomes of the DC slave trade, fugitive slave laws, new territories, and California aspects of it because he is the one wrote most of the compromises. 2. Who do you think benefited or gained the most from the compromise? Why? I think the people who best benefitted were the people who owned slaves and depended on slave labor because the compromise benefitted them as slaves would be returned to them and slavery would be able to continue in some their areas. 3. Do you think the idea of popular sovereignty was a good compromise? How did this idea and the compromise in general signal a shift in policies and precedents regarding slavery? I believe the idea of popular sovereignty was a good compromise because it gave the people a voice in the outcomes that would affect not only their lives, but the lives of many others. The compromise signaled a shift in policies and precedents regarding slavery as it showed just how many people were against slavery, or at the very least had mixed views about slavery, and would allow their speculation on slavery dictate how the future actions regarding slavery would pan out. 4. Many historians argue that the Compromise of 1850 postponed the Civil War and therefore view it as both positive and necessary: do you agree? Why do you think this compromise was unable to completely prevent the Civil War? I do agree that the compromise of 1850 postponed the Civil War because it gave the people a glimmer of hope as it allowed their voices to be heard and they thought that they would get what they have been fighting for. It allowed people to think that their speculations were being respected. I also do think that this compromise was unable to completely prevent the war as the compromise was not able to fulfil all the wants that a lot of people have been fighting for. It was only a compromise and never would have made everyone happy.
