Kansas Nebraska Act And The Missouri Compromise Of 1850

Congress has always played a pivotal role in addressing the social and economic issues of the United States. This legislation has shaped the US’s economic and political situations as well as affecting the public sentiment of America’s society. Two specific pieces of legislation passed during the course of the US’s history that have had significant impacts on slavery and sectionalism have been the Missouri Compromise (1820) and the Fugitive Slave Act (1850). Both legislative pieces have roots stemming from the theory of manifest destiny and the country’s desire to expand itself.

The compromise consisted of various laws such as ones admitting California as a free state, and creating the Utah and New Mexico territories where slavery would be decided by the people living in those areas. Also, in Washington D.C. slaveholding was still permitted, but the slave trade was prohibited. This compromise also settled a border dispute between New Mexico and Texas. With the admittance of California as a free-state the balance of the Senate was in favor of the free

When in 1850 the California Territory asked to be admitted as a free state into the Union, many southerners opposed the request because they feared that that new admission would have upset the sectional balance in the Congress between free state representatives and slave state representatives. The Senator Henry Clay proposed a series of law later called under the common name of Compromise of 1850. According to these laws, California would be admitted into the Union as free slave; to balance it there would be created two new slave states, Utah and New Mexico, where slavery had to be determined by popular sovereignty; slavery in Washington D.C. would be ended; and finally the issuing of the Fugitive Slave Act that made easier for the southern to recover fugitive slaves. Even though the Compromise of 1850 acted as a temporary solution, later in time it resulted in further severe problems as the Bleeding Kansas in 1854, where pro-slavery citizens and anti-slavery citizens quarrelsome produced a sort of small civil

With the United States having acquired new territory due to the war with Mexico, there was much controversy about slavery. Some inhabitants believed they had the right to decide whether or not they wanted slaves. The Compromise of 1850 was a series of laws that were meant to balance out the controversies between slavery and territorial issues. The five laws dealt with the interests of the slaves of the free states and the south. There were five main points of the Compromise of 1850: California would be admitted to the union as a free state; the land won from the Mexican-American War would remain open to slavery until they became states; the slave trade would be banned in the nation's capitol; Texas would relinquish its claims to the land that

Through the Louisiana Purchase, Missouri Compromise, Manifest Destiny, Compromise of 1850, and the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the United States developed a unique policy regarding new territories that would greatly affect history and slavery. Although expanding territory would be beneficial to a country if done correctly, the United States suffered fracturing division and eventual civil war indirectly as a result. With lingering questions over the definitions of slave and free states, the country would always face questions regarding slavery whenever a new state wished to enter the Union. Ultimately, the bond of the country would crumble and require reconstruction for many years to come. With endless controversy, unpopular decisions, and poor agreements,

In these territories states began to form and as they reached requirements for admission into the United States they would apply for admission. As these states attempted gain admission into the United States the debate of rather, they would be slave states or free states, and weather slavery should be abolished all together, created heavy controversy

This would give the option to legalize slavery to the territories of New Mexico and Utah. In the end the compromise of 1850 was done and was composed of five statutes, The acts called for the admission of California as a "free state," provided for a territorial government for Utah and New Mexico, established a boundary between Texas and the United States, called for the abolition of slave trade in Washington, DC, and amended the Fugitive Slave

However, if California was admitted as a free state, then the North would have control over all the bills and laws, while if California was admitted as a slave state, then the North would not be able to stop the expansion of slavery. After all, the South would control the Senate. Therefore, the compromise of 1850 was brought before the Senate.

The Missouri Compromise included the 36 30 line to split the slave states and the non-slave states(Missouri was- at the time- the only exception to this rule). Both sides were seemingly happy with the Missouri Compromise until the newly gained Mexican territory was added into the equation. The Great Compromise was made to settle which areas of land would allow slavery and had objections on both sides. New states such as California (which were extensive and split down the width of the country) did not become slave states, but it gave the Southern slave states a chance to be even more harsh towards their slaves and push against the North for more control. The Kansas-Nebraska Act favored the South over the North because the 36 30 line was erased to make room for popular sovereignty, giving the South the chance to influence the new states to become pro-slavery.

In the 1840 slavery would become a great debate among the United States due to territorial growth. The United States was gaining growth and many areas were not officially established as part of the United States yet. So settles were eager to start growth is these new lands, but the question would be if slavery would be allowed. The southern regions held their power from the political power they held. Their economy was based on slave based Plantation and the southerners feared that their economy would collapse without it.

Prior to the 1840s and 1850s, there was a precarious balance of slave and free states in the U.S. Legislation like the Missouri Compromise helped maintain that balance, but tensions continued to build as more states petitioned to be admitted into the Union. Additionally, societal changes inspired many Northerners to take a stand against slavery, with more Northerners embracing abolitionist causes. Southerners, on the other hand, clung to the institution and remained economically dependent upon it, looking to spread it to new states. During the 1840s and 1850s, Northerners and Southerners deeply disagreed about the institution of slavery, creating a deep divide between the two that would lead to war.

The Compromise of 1850 The Compromise of 1850 can been identified as a significant event in American history, as it helped to avert a looming Civil War. It was seen as a solutions to growing conflicts between the North and the South. The bills included five major elements that addressed issues such as slavery, the Mexican Cession, and the territories of California and Utah. The Compromise aided in attempts to amend issued between pro and anti-slavery groups.

Debates over slavery in the period from 1830 to 1860 played a significant role in leading the United States into the Civil War. The issue of slavery was a major source of tension between the northern and southern states, and it was a key factor in the rising tensions between the two regions. The northern states were largely anti-slavery, and many abolitionists were active in calling for the immediate end of slavery. In contrast, the southern states were largely pro-slavery, and many slaveholders were deeply committed to maintaining the institution of slavery. One of the major debates that contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War was the question of whether slavery should be allowed in the territories acquired by the United States.

To start, the Missouri Compromise led to many disputes and eventually veered the nation towards the civil war. In essence, this compromise put a boarder at a 36*30 latitude that would separate the free and slave states. The slave states would be below

The Missouri compromise was an agreement between the north and south. It allowed Missouri to be the 24th state. Maine was also established, therefore Missouri was a free state. The Mason Dixon line was established, this created a line between the slave and free states. This rule was broken, and even more conflict was contributed to the start of the civil war.