Debate over Slavery Popular Sovereignty Wilmot Proviso New

Debate over Slavery Popular Sovereignty & Wilmot Proviso

New land renews Slavery Disputes • U. S. added more than 500, 000 square miles of land after winning the Mexican-American war in 1848 • This land cause some bitter debate over slavery • Missouri Compromise prohibited slavery north of latitude 30 degrees 30 minutes. Missouri become a slave state. • Pres. Polk wanted to extend line to west coast dividing Mexican Cession into two parts one free and one slave • Some leaders encourage the idea of Popular Sovereignty

Popular Sovereignty is: • The idea that political power belongs to the people. • They should be the ones to decide on banning or allowing slavery

Regional Differences on Slavery • Some northerners wanted to outlaw slavery all parts of the Mexican Cession • During the war representative David Wilmot offered the • Wilmot Proviso

Wilmot Proviso states: • Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall ever exist in any part of the territory.

Who won? • North controlled how and passed the document (Wilmont Proviso) • South had more power in Senate • Wilmont Proviso did not pass • Anti Slavery northerners formed a new party Free-Soil Party • They supported the Wilmot Proviso

California • Gold rush caused rapid growth • California applied for statehood • Most Californians opposed slavery • If California became a free state balance of power is off

Upsetting the balance of power • The south: imbalance was not acceptable • Northern free states = 30 senators • Southern Slave states = 30 senators • California = 2 senators • This would throw off the balance of power

Compromise of 1850 Henry Clay Proposed a new plan Designed to give both side what they wanted 1. Cal. Enter union as free state 2. Rest of Mexican Cession would be federal land. Territory to decide slavery issue by popular sovereignty • 3. Texas give up land east of upper Rio Grande in return Gov. to pay Texas debts when they were an independent republic • 4. Slave trade but not slavery would end in Nation’s capital • 5. More effective fugitive slave law would be passed • • •

Results • Compromise passed • It settle most of the disputes between free and slave states