COMPROMISE OF 1850

Keeping the Country Together

The Mexican War of 1848 had ended, ceding new land to the United States. There were already two sides, with two different positions on slavery. The question is, should they be free states or slave states? The current president, Zachary Taylor, wanted to exclude slavery from the constitutions of the newly gained territories. The South object, fearing it would upset the balance of the nation. This is where the Great Triumvirate stepped in.The trio attempted to collaborate, while at the same time battle, to establish a compromise that lessen tensions, avoids conflict, and essentially brings the nation together. Henry Clay put together a set of five bills, which is today known as the Compromise of 1850. Clay's omnibus bill comprised of five major components: California was to be admitted a free state of the US, the newly ceded territories of Utah and New Mexico were to decide for themselves whether to legalize slavery or abolish it within their boundaries, the border dividing New Mexico and Texas was to be fixed, a stronger fugitive slave law was to be enacted, and the District of Columbia was to abolish slavery within its capital lands. "The act of compromise itself became another facet of political drift eroding a meaningful solution for an increasingly insoluble problem." Due to the pro-slavery democrats led by John Calhoun and the fact that the Congress was reluctant to consider the issues in one whole bill, Clay had much difficulty passing it. However, senator Stephen Douglas separated the Compromise of 1850 into individual components, and was able to get them through Congress. The Compromise was agreed upon by Daniel Webster, who believed it would postpone the war. John Calhoun seemed to disagree with it, as it proposed limits to slavery during westward expansion.