ID: Compromise of 1850
When: September 1850
Who:
- Henry Clay: Proposed the compromise (though it was ultimately passed in separate bills by Stephen Douglas).
- John C. Calhoun: Leading Southern voice against compromise.
- Daniel Webster: Northern voice supporting compromise.
- Millard Fillmore: President who signed the compromise bills into law.
What:
A series of five bills passed by Congress to address the issue of slavery in newly acquired territories after the Mexican-American War. Key Provisions:
- California admitted as a free state.
- New Mexico and Utah territories organized with Popular Sovereignty (residents decide on slavery).
- Texas-New Mexico boundary dispute resolved in favor of New Mexico.
- Stronger Fugitive Slave Act enacted.
- Slave trade abolished in Washington, D.C.
Impact? Why Significant?:
- Delayed the Civil War: The compromise temporarily eased sectional tensions by offering concessions to both the North and South.
- Increased sectionalism : Ultimately, the Compromise of 1850 exacerbated tensions over slavery due to the controversial Fugitive Slave Act, which further divided the nation and led to increased abolitionist activity.
- Showed the fragility of compromise: The Compromise demonstrated the increasing difficulty of finding peaceful solutions to the issue of slavery.