The Failed Compromise of 1850: A Prelude to Civil War

The 1850 resolutions, proposed by Henry Clay, were intended to reduce tensions between the North and South. These five suggestions were consolidated into one bill to deal with the issues of slavery and westward expansion following the Mexican War. Senator Douglas' attempts to enact the compromise were unsuccessful as it did not satisfy both anti-slavery and pro-slavery groups.

The Compromise failed to achieve the intended resolution of bringing peace to a nation torn apart by the slavery controversy. Instead, it simply "papered over the crack," exacerbating polarization and favoring a party that had been growing in strength since the 1820s.

The conflict between the North and South began in 1846 when the U.S.A acquired Mexican territory during the Mexican War, sparking debates about slavery extension. Northerners supported free states while Southerners advocated for slavery expansion. Several compromises were proposed to address the sectional conflict, such as the Wilmot Proviso of 1846, which aimed to ban slavery in newly acquired territories.

Issued in 1847, the Calhoun Doctrine (also known as 'The Platform of the South') asserted that territories belonged to all states.

Get quality help now

Doctor Jennifer

Verified writer

Proficient in: Slavery And Freedom

5 (893)

“ Thank you so much for accepting my assignment the night before it was due. I look forward to working with you moving forward ”

+84 relevant experts are online

Hire writer

Despite this, the controversy surrounding slavery expansion posed a threat to national unity. In an effort to reconcile pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions and ease sectional tensions across America, Henry Clay proposed a set of resolutions collectively referred to as the 'omnibus' bill.

The compromise included the admission of California as a free state, the establishment of New Mexico and Utah as territories with popular sovereignty, the reinforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act, and the prohibition of slave-trading in the District of Columbia.

Clay's mistake was trying to pass all five bills at once, which heightened tensions between Northerners and Southerners during compromise talks.

Despite facing rejection by Northern senators in July 1850, Clay's 'omnibus' bill ultimately passed in September of that year thanks to Senator Douglas of Illinois skillfully dividing the negotiation into a five-part compromise. A. Farmer deemed this an 'ingenious strategy' that satisfied both Northern and Southern supporters, resulting in the narrow passage of the Compromise of 1850 with supporters successfully tipping the scales in their favor.

The 1850 Compromise failed due to multiple reasons, with one being the disagreement over popular sovereignty. This agreement mandated that Utah and New Mexico territories adopt popular sovereignty, giving settlers the power to decide on slavery's legality.

Democrats like Senator Cass of Michigan and Senator Douglas of Illinois were strong proponents of popular sovereignty, which seemed to accommodate the interests of both the North and South. It satisfied the South's desire for federal non-intervention and raised the possibility of expanding slavery into certain Mexican territories. However, popular sovereignty was viewed by the North as a means of excluding slavery, as most settlers in the new territories were unlikely to vote in favor of its introduction. Despite its appeal to both sides, popular sovereignty faced several challenges.

Contrary to previous practice, Congress had typically made decisions regarding territories. However, the issue of when a territory should address slavery posed a practical challenge. While some Northerners, like Cass and Douglas, believed the decision should be made early on by the first territorial assembly, Southerners preferred to delay the decision until later in the process. They wanted to allow enough time for slavery to develop in the territories before making a decision as the territory neared statehood and sought admission to the union.

Democrats supported popular sovereignty, but Northerners and Southerners had conflicting views. Calhoun and other Southerners believed in the right to bring slaves anywhere, while Northerners opposed slavery expansion under any circumstances, regardless of settler desires.

Stephen Douglas played a crucial role in the 1850 Compromise by promoting popular sovereignty as a way to address the slavery issue. Despite facing obstacles in New Mexico and Utah, he remained committed to this strategy. In 1854, Douglas introduced the Kansas-Nebraska bill, leading to heightened tensions and violent clashes during 'Bleeding Kansas' in 1856, revealing flaws in popular sovereignty.

The Kansas-Nebraska Act divided the Northern region into Kansas and Nebraska, granting them the authority to decide their own destiny. Although Douglas believed this would satisfy the South, it sparked considerable controversy. Certain individuals in the North suspected that Senator Douglas and Congress were still influenced by a conspiracy of slave power, resulting in heated discussions and contributing to the decline of the Whig party, which had backing from various Southerners and also endorsed the Fugitive Slave Act.

Originally passed in 1793, the Fugitive Slave Act played a significant role in the downfall of the Compromise of 1850. This law permitted slave owners to reclaim escaped slaves outside state boundaries, causing anger among Northern abolitionists and dissatisfaction among Southerners who believed it was not being enforced effectively due to legal gaps and growing opposition. Consequently, Northern states implemented personal liberty laws that essentially invalidated the Fugitive Slave Act, creating obstacles for federal law enforcement in that area.

During the 1850s, only 532 fugitive slaves were returned to the South from the free states. This low number was not due to Northern resistance, but rather because few escaped slaves made it North and the cost of reclaiming a slave often exceeded their value. In 1851, Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" began publication, stirring Northern sympathies for slavery despite her limited knowledge of the institution. The novel provided a strong criticism of slavery based on abolitionist literature.

Propaganda may have overstated the impact of slavery, potentially swaying some Northerners to become more opposed to it. President Lincoln famously commented on meeting Stowe in 1863, saying 'So you're the little woman who wrote the book that caused this Great War'. Despite the ultimate failure of the 1850 Compromise, there were numerous factors supporting its success. However, due to inadequate influence, failure was inevitable. In certain respects, the resolution measures of 1850 did show effectiveness.

Despite potentially playing a role in preventing war for a decade, the Compromise may have also contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War. The Northern economy relied on the trade industry, which primarily received goods from Southern slave-run cotton plantations. While many Northerners opposed slavery and its expansion, some may have hesitated to take a strong stance against it due to concerns about its impact on their economy. Nevertheless, those who resisted slavery likely believed in the concept of free labor, advocating for Northern farmers to grow cotton as an alternative to slave labor in order to sustain the trade industries of the North.

Before 1846 and after that year, events revealed that America's expansion caused significant sectional conflict and rivalries, primarily due to the issue of slavery. Despite efforts to delay a sectional split, the Compromise of 1850 failed because the perceived fairness of the resolution was misleading. It became evident that slavery was a moral dilemma that required more than just compromise to address. The outcome of the Compromise ultimately led to a significant number of Southerners seceding from the union and increased political polarization among Democrats.