If you go through the annals of American history, you will come across several instances when the nation faced the threat of secession. Most of these instances were attributed to the north-south divide in the United States. The federal government did manage to hold the Union together - at times by resorting to military force and at times by diplomacy. The Compromise of 1850 was one such diplomatic attempt by the Federal government to hold the Union together when tempers flared on both sides and brought the nation on a verge of secession. As you go ahead with this writeup, you will come across some interesting facts about Compromise of 1850.
What was the Compromise of 1850
The term 'Compromise of 1850' refers to the package of five bills passed by the United States Senate in September 1850. It is best known for defusing the four-year old confrontation between the free states of north and slave states of south which had surfaced soon after the Mexican-American War fought between 1846 and 1848. While the tension between northern free states and southern slave states were always in limelight, it reached its all time high in 1849 when California sought permission from the US Senate to enter the Union as a free state.
This move on the part of California threatened the balance between northern free states and southern slave states - as both sides had 15 members each. Realizing that their position in the Senate would weaken if California enters the Union as a free state, the slave states from south came out against this move in a violent manner. In order to control the potential crisis between north and south, the US Senator - Henry Clay, came up with a series of resolutions in 29th January, 1850. The goal of the compromise was to deal with the incessant spread of slavery in a bid to strike a right balance between the northern and southern states of the United States of America.
Compromise of 1850: Facts about the 5 Bills
As per the Compromise, California was added to the Union as a free state - by 150-56 votes in the Senate. The state of Texas had to let go of the New Mexico territory which it had acquired. It was given $10 million by the federal government for the loss incurred as a result of this move. The newly acquired territories of New Mexico and Utah were given the right to resolve the question issue by relying on popular sovereignty - a political doctrine which gave settlers the right to decide the status under which they would join the Union. Even though slavery as an institution continued to flourish in the United States, the slave trade in the District of Colombia was abolished as per the stipulation of the Compromise of 1850. A new act - the Fugitive Slave Act was passed according to which a new force of federal commissioners was formed and given the authority to pursue fugitive slaves in various parts of the country and return them to their owners.
That was a short Compromise of 1850 summary which was intended to highlight the key points of this Compromise. Even though neither of the two sides were happy about it, the Compromise did bring about some much needed peace in the country. Historians are divided over the entire issue with some of them stating that the Compromise of 1850 played an important role in history by postponing the American Civil War by a decade or so. The northern states utilized this decade for building a strong infrastructure which was quite beneficial for them in course of time. The critics, on the other hand, claim that it was the Compromise of 1850 which was one of the most prominent causes of the Civil War that followed as it worsened the pre-existing north-south divide in America.
What was the Compromise of 1850
The term 'Compromise of 1850' refers to the package of five bills passed by the United States Senate in September 1850. It is best known for defusing the four-year old confrontation between the free states of north and slave states of south which had surfaced soon after the Mexican-American War fought between 1846 and 1848. While the tension between northern free states and southern slave states were always in limelight, it reached its all time high in 1849 when California sought permission from the US Senate to enter the Union as a free state.
This move on the part of California threatened the balance between northern free states and southern slave states - as both sides had 15 members each. Realizing that their position in the Senate would weaken if California enters the Union as a free state, the slave states from south came out against this move in a violent manner. In order to control the potential crisis between north and south, the US Senator - Henry Clay, came up with a series of resolutions in 29th January, 1850. The goal of the compromise was to deal with the incessant spread of slavery in a bid to strike a right balance between the northern and southern states of the United States of America.
Compromise of 1850: Facts about the 5 Bills
As per the Compromise, California was added to the Union as a free state - by 150-56 votes in the Senate. The state of Texas had to let go of the New Mexico territory which it had acquired. It was given $10 million by the federal government for the loss incurred as a result of this move. The newly acquired territories of New Mexico and Utah were given the right to resolve the question issue by relying on popular sovereignty - a political doctrine which gave settlers the right to decide the status under which they would join the Union. Even though slavery as an institution continued to flourish in the United States, the slave trade in the District of Colombia was abolished as per the stipulation of the Compromise of 1850. A new act - the Fugitive Slave Act was passed according to which a new force of federal commissioners was formed and given the authority to pursue fugitive slaves in various parts of the country and return them to their owners.
That was a short Compromise of 1850 summary which was intended to highlight the key points of this Compromise. Even though neither of the two sides were happy about it, the Compromise did bring about some much needed peace in the country. Historians are divided over the entire issue with some of them stating that the Compromise of 1850 played an important role in history by postponing the American Civil War by a decade or so. The northern states utilized this decade for building a strong infrastructure which was quite beneficial for them in course of time. The critics, on the other hand, claim that it was the Compromise of 1850 which was one of the most prominent causes of the Civil War that followed as it worsened the pre-existing north-south divide in America.
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