How Compromises Failed to Prevent the Civil War Essay

As tensions among the North and the southwestward rose on the issues of thrall and states rights, numerous compromises were proposed to tranquility the conflict. Such compromises included the minute via media, the Compromise of 1850, and the Crittenden Compromise. These compromises had intentions of defining where slavery was permitted and explicate states rights. They were only temporary fixes to a much pressing issue. Between the atomic number 42 Compromise and the Crittenden Compromise, a series of events changed the indemnity-making atmosphere of the United States and prevented any(prenominal) to a greater extent compromises on the institution of slavery from being passed.In the geezerhood leading up to the Civil fight, numerous laws were passed that not only prevented slavery from expanding to the North, but also limited states rights. The Missouri Compromise was one of the maiden to do so. Senator Henry mud arranged an imaginary line of latitude musical no te at 3630 North and slavery above this argumentation was prohibited, while territories south of this line were permitted to take slaves. This limited the siemens from farther expanding slavery to bran-new territories. Pro-slavery grayers felt a bias in the policy-making system because Congress now had the power to exclude slavery from U.S. territories. grey states believed that this power was reserved for them and by proclaiming the 3630 North latitude line, the federal government exercised unconstitutional power. The Dred Scott decision further patronizeed the clause that the issue of slavery was reserved for the state government. Despite this, the South know that the North and its anti-slavery views were gaining ground, while the North believed that the Dred Scott ruling limited its power. The Compromise of 1850 shifted the policy-making landscape even more.California sought to be admitted to the pairing as a free state, and the Wilmot Proviso suggested that the newly acquired land from the Mexican War was to be free as well. The South was concerned that admission of more free states would offset the balance of representation in Congress. At the same time, the northerners feared that the revised Fugitive Slave propel was a step towards a slave power conspiracy. Prior to the revision, Northern states such as Missouri and Wisconsin passed personal liberty laws that ultimately nullified the Fugitive Slave Acts of 1793.The U. S. ultimate Court ruling of Prigg v. Pennsylvania weakened the Acts of 1793 even further by asserting that States did not have to aid in the capture of uncontrolled slaves. Eventually the Compromise of 1850 was passed in sieve parts and many expect that it would be the longstanding answer to slavery in the States. In 1854, the Kansas-Nebraska Act tipped the delicate balance of states rights in the Compromise of 1850. Senator Henry Clay proposed the popular opinion of popular reign to determine whether these States would be free or slave states.This hence repealed the Missouri Compromise by allowing slavery to facing pages North of the Missouri Compromise latitude line if popular sovereignty called for it. Popular sovereignty led to a series of deadly confrontations, cognise as Bleeding Kansas, between anti-slavery Free-Staters and pro-slavery Border Ruffians. In an attempt to institute Kansas as a free state, anti-slavery organizations such as the New England emigre Aid Company convinced thousands of anti-slavery Northerners to settle in the new stain for the sole purpose of casting anti-slavery voter turnouts.The Southerners viewed this as a threat to slavery and readyed their own counter movement. After the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the events that ensued, the Whig troupe disintegrated because the sectionalizing set up on slavery could no longer maintain a company comprised of those who were pro-slavery, anti-slavery, and indifferent to slavery. Thus, Bleeding Kansas effectively split the nation into both major(ip) political parties the Republicans in the North and the Democrats in the South. The Republican Party was smooth of former Whigs and members of other anti-slavery parties, such as the Liberty Party.Most members of this party were anti-slavery who held a moderate view that failed to classify them as abolitionists. They were contrary to the expansion of slavery and called for Congress to prevent the further expansion of slavery into new territories. They believed that by confining slavery to its current boundaries, it would gradually be eradicated. The shaping of the Republican Party was one of the primary reasons of how the political landscape changed in the Union. Throughout this time, the North was growing rapidly due to its industrial economy.They had more railroad mileage, industry, income, population, and ultimately more representation in Congress. In addition, the South was subject to high tariff laws that make it very hard for gray farmers to tr ade internationally. The result was a strong centralized government in the North, and an agrarian culture in the South that was solely dependent on slavery. Any attack against the institution of slavery in the South could potentially disintegrate the states in the South. In 1859, this fear became a reality as washbowl Brown, an extreme abolitionist, led a raid on at Harpers Ferry.Although this uprising was brought down and denounced by Northern Republicans, slave owners believed that all abolitionists and Northerners shared the same radical views as John Brown. With the emergence of new political parties and the growing support for the Republicans in the North, the campaign of 1860 was the major turning heighten in the political atmosphere. In May of that year, Abraham capital of Nebraska was nominated at the Republican National Convention as the presidential candidate. The Republican computer program had moderate anti-slavery views and endorsed means of promoting industry.The D emocratic Party, on the other hand, continued to support their article of faith of popular sovereignty. However, Northern and Southern Democrats interpreted this notion independently. Northern Democrats assumed that under popular sovereignty, slavery would not expand because Free-Staters could pronto settle in the West and thereby claiming the land as free. Southern Democrats assumed the same principle, except instead of free settlers, slaveholders would be adapted to quickly settle in new territories with their slaves and claim the land as slave rule.This ultimately resulted in the schism of the Democratic Party. At two separate conventions, the Northern Democratic wing nominated Stephen Douglass and support the doctrine of popular sovereignty, while the Southern wing nominated John Breckinridge and supported the notion that slaveholders were allowed to bring their slaves and claim the land as slave holding. To form the campaign of 1860 more complicated, another political party took its roots, namely the thorough Union Party. Composed of conservative members of the Whig and Know Nothing Parties, they nominated John Bell as their presidential candidate.This led to essentially two separate elections Lincoln versus Douglas in the North, and Breckinridge versus Bell in the South. Perhaps the most arguable issue was the fact that although Lincoln did not appear on the ballot in most Southern states, he was declared the sixteenth chair despite not carrying a single southern state. This indicated that the national political system was failing and that the South no longer had an influential spot in the government. Despite Lincolns assurance that it was not his policy to abolish slavery, Southerners referred back to Harpers Raid and failed to eed Lincolns message.This drastic shift in political atmosphere following the Compromise of 1850 and the 1860 Presidential election resulted in the inability to accept any compromises. The South believed they no longer ha d a voice in the government and believed that this would needfully lead to the abolishment of slavery by the Northern majority in Congress. The South was dependent on slavery for income, so they could not spend to switch to a system of free labor. The Crittenden Compromise is a vertex example of how a Northern, anti-slavery view rejected any compromises made by the South.Evidently, this led to the secession of Southern states. Northerners and Southerners were able to accept compromises made regarding slavery prior to the Presidential election of 1860. However, as the Northerners fear of a slave power rose so did the Southerners fear of a centralized government that would abolish slavery. Events like Bleeding Kansas and Harpers Raid increased tensions between slaveholders and non-slaveholders. In the end, they realized that slavery could no longer remain issue that could be compromised on.In 1845, the Republic of Texas was annexed and admitted to the Union as the 28th state. Follo wing the Mexican War, the issue of slavery in the newly acquired land caused fierce debates among politicians. Southern Democrats were heavily influenced by exhibit Destiny, and hoped acquire new slave-owning territory, while those in the North feared the rise of a Slave Power. The House of Representatives passed the Wilmot Proviso, which stated that slavery was prohibited in any territory acquired from Mexico. However, the Senate failed to pass the proviso due to an overwhelming pro-slavery opinion. wever, Senator Stephen A. Douglas passed the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 and consequently repealed the Missouri Compromise by allowing slavery north of the latitude line.The notion of popular sovereignty led to a series of deadly confrontations, cognise as Bleeding Kansas, between anti-slavery Free-Staters and pro-slavery Border Ruffians. In an attempt to establish Kansas as a free state, anti-slavery organizations such as the New England emigre Aid Company convinced thousands of ant i-slavery Northerners to settle in the new territory for the sole purpose of casting anti-slavery ballots.The Southerners viewed this as a threat to slavery and established their own counter movement. Initially, the Border Ruffians won the election and drafted a pro-slavery constitution for the territory of Kansas. In response, Free-Staters drafted the Topeka constitution and formed a shadow government. In 1857, another constitutional convention met and drafted the Lecompton Constitution, which was heavily opposed by abolitionists.This eventually gave way to the Wyandotte Constitution, which was ultimately approved by the Senate and admitted Kansas as a free state. The unfailing anti-slavery voice in Kansas Election of Lincoln (republican, northerner, antislave person) = south would lose more power in congress little population in south = less representation Shifting political landscape any territory above this line was prohibited to have slavery. Territories south of this line wer e permitted to have slaves. This was evident when a compromise was made in 1860.