The Divisive Politics of Slavery

Chapter 10 Section 1

I Differences Between North and South• Differences in economy and culture had developed between

N and S

A. Industry and Immigration in the North

•N was industrializing rapidly• Factories mass producing products• RR crisscrossed trhe N & extended

W carrying goods• Small towns like Chicago wuickly

turn into cities due to large vol. of ppl & goods arriving via RR• Immigrants (Irish & German)

became factory workers while others go west

• Immigrants became vboters who strongly opposed slavery because…• Expansion of slavery would bring slave labor in direct competition

w/ ppl who worked for wages• Thretened to reduce status of white workers who could not

successfully compete w/ slaves

B. Agriculture in the South• Remained predominantly rural w/ planations &

small farms• Its econ. Depended on agriculture• Especially cotton

• Did not take advantage of tech. mprovements like the N (RR & Tele.)• Pop. Grwew slower

• Im. Did not settle in S because most jobs held by slaves• S feared restriction of slaverydestruction of

the S econ. & culture

II Slavery in the Territories• Dem. Congressmen David Wilmont increases tensions

between N and S by proposing the Wilmot Proviso• WP= slavery & involuntary servitude is outlawed in any terr. That

might be ganed in war w/ mexico

A. The Wilmot Proviso•N accepted WP not because they were all abolotinists

but because tey were angry over S congressman’s refusal to vote for internal impr.• Alsdo feared adding more slave states would give s\them

more power in congress• S opposed WP claiming it was unconstitutional

because slaves were prop. And the constitution protects property• Feared that it would add more free states and give them

more power in congress

B. Statehood for California• Cali’s pop grew quick due to the gold

rushcreated a state constitution which forbade slavery & applied to become state• S were angry because they assumed the

Mizzou comp that opened area to slavery would guarantee it to become slave states

• Pres. Taylor approves constitution because he believed S could combate abolitionists best by leaving it up to the ppl/terr/states instead of congress• S began to wuestion whether it should

remain in the Union

III the Senate Debates• Sectional conflicts arise from Cali’s admission as a state• N demands abolition in DC• S accuses N nof not enforcing fugitive slave actthreaten to secede• Secession= formal withdrawel of a state from the union

A. Clay’s Compromise• Henry Clay proposes a set of resolutions called the

Compromise of 1850 to solve sectional divide• Hoped it would end all controversy between free and slave states

due to slavery

B. Terms of the Compromise•Contained procisions to appease N and S• To please NCali would become free state• To please S proposed new and more effective

fugitive slave law•Come provisions pleased both N and S•Pop sov= the right of residents in a terr. To vote for

or against slavery• Fed gov’t would pay texas to give up its claim to NM • N happy because it limited slavery to Texas & S because

$$ would help texas w/ its expenses from war w/ Mexico

C. Calhoun & Webster Respond•Clay’s speech

defends his plan and marks one of the greatest pol. Debates in US history• Calhoun then follows

w/ the S case for slaveryWebster’s response which calls for national unity (pg 286)

D. The Compromise is Adopted• Despite Clay and Websters attempt the Senate rejected the

Comp.Clay leaves DC and Stephen Douglas picks up the reigns• Douglass changes plan from Omnibus bill to an unbundled

one and reintroduces it one provision at a time• This way, congressmen who didn’t like part of it didn’t have to vote

against the entire thing but only vote for what he liked• Pres. Taylor diesFillmore takes his place (supports the

comp.)• Comp of 1850 passes into law believed this would forever

sttle the question of slavery and sectional diff.• Unfortunatly the enforcement of the Fugtive Slave Act would bring

crisis back to the forefront