Standard 8.67 Lesson
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C HAPTER
Chapter 1. Standard 8.67 Lesson
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Standard 8.67 Lesson
8.67 Explain the reasons for and the impact of the Compromise of 1850, including the roles played by Daniel
Webster and John C. Calhoun and the Fugitive Slave Law. (C,E,G,H,P)
Activity and assessment for this standard - http://mrkash.com/activities/compromise.html
FIGURE 1.1
Lesson explanation from Mr. Michael Zoller with the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1820.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tLSDJi9EyY
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FIGURE 1.2
The Compromise of 1850 and the Fugitive Slave Act
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2951.html
Biography of Daniel Webster
http://www.biography.com/people/daniel-webster-9526186
Biography of John C. Calhoun
http://www.biography.com/people/john-c-calhoun-37250
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Chapter 1. Standard 8.67 Lesson
Three Senatorial Giants: Clay, Calhoun and Webster
Dartmouth College
Daniel Webster’s "Seventh of March" speech urged Senators from all regions of the nation to compromise their
positions in order to save the Union.
HENRY CLAY of Kentucky, JOHN C. CALHOUN of South Carolina, and DANIEL WEBSTER of Massachusetts
dominated national politics from the end of the War of 1812 until their deaths in the early 1850s. Although none
would ever be President, the collective impact they created in Congress was far greater than any President of the
era, with the exception of Andrew Jackson. There was one issue that loomed over the nation throughout their
time in power — slavery. They were continuously successful in keeping peace in America by forging a series of
compromises. The next generation’s leaders were not.
The Gold Rush led to the rapid settlement of California which resulted in its imminent admission as the 31st state.
Southerners recognized that there were few slaves in California because Mexico had prohibited slavery. Immediate
admission would surely mean California would be the 16th free state, giving the non-slaveholding states an edge in
the Senate. Already holding the House of Representatives, the free states could then dominate legislation.
Texas was claiming land that was part of New Mexico. As a slave state, any expansion of the boundaries of Texas
would be opening new land to slavery. northerners were opposed. The north was also appalled at the ongoing
practice of slavery in the nation’s capital — a practice the south was not willing to let go. The lines were drawn as
the three Senatorial giants took the stage for the last critical time.
Henry Clay had brokered compromises before. When the Congress was divided in 1820 over the issue of slavery
in the Louisiana Territory, Clay set forth the Missouri Compromise . When South Carolina nullified the tariff in
1832, Clay saved the day with the Compromise Tariff OF 1833 . After 30 years in Congress and three unsuccessful
attempts at the Presidency, Clay wanted badly to make good with yet another nation-saving deal. He put forth a set
of eight proposals that he hoped would pass muster with his colleagues.
( Pictured Above: John Calhoun once said of Henry Clay (shown above), "I don’t like Clay. He is a bad man, an
imposter, a creator of wicked schemes. I wouldn’t speak to him, but, by God, I love him!")
John C. Calhoun took to the floor next. Although sick and dying with consumption, he sat sternly in the Senate
chamber, as his speech was read. The compromises would betray the south, he claimed. Northerners would
have to agree to federal protection of slavery for the south to feel comfortable remaining in the Union. His words
foreshadowed the very doom to the Union that would come within the decade.
Daniel Webster spoke three days after Calhoun’s speech. With the nation’s fate in the balance, he pleaded with
northerners to accept southern demands, for the sake of Union. Withdrawing his former support for the Wilmot
Proviso, he hoped to persuade enough of his colleagues to move closer to Clay’s proposals. Although there was no
immediate deal, his words echoed in the minds of the Congressmen as they debated into that hot summer.
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By 1852, Clay, Calhoun, and Webster had all passed away. They left a rich legacy behind
them. Clay of the West, Calhoun of the South, and Webster of the North loved and served their country greatly. The
generation that followed produced no leader that could unite the country without the force of arms.
The Compromise of 1850
( Pictured Above: U.S. Senate The "Great Compromiser," Henry Clay, introduces the Compromise of 1850 in the
Senate.)
The plan was set forth. The giants — Calhoun, Webster, and Clay — had spoken. Still the Congress debated
the contentious issues well into the summer. Each time Clay’s Compromise was set forth for a vote, it did not
receive a majority. Henry Clay himself had to leave in sickness, before the dispute could be resolved. In his place,
Stephen Douglas worked tirelessly to end the fight. On July 9, President Zachary Taylor died of food poisoning. His
successor, Millard Fillmore , was much more interested in compromise. The environment for a deal was set. By
September, Clay’s Compromise became law.
California was admitted to the Union as the 16th free state. In exchange, the south was guaranteed that no federal
restrictions on slavery would be placed on Utah or New Mexico. Texas lost its boundary claims in New Mexico,
but the Congress compensated Texas with $10 million. Slavery was maintained in the nation’s capital, but the slave
trade was prohibited. Finally, and most controversially, a Fugitive Slave Law was passed, requiring northerners to
return runaway slaves to their owners under penalty of law.
FUGITIVE SLAVE LAWS:
Mr Zoller explains the Fugitive Slave Law and Uncle Tom’s Cabin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_BclXtN1WA
• Denied slaves the right to a jury trial
• Increased the penalty for interfering with the capture of runaway slaves (up to $1000 fine and six months in
jail)
• Northerners were required to return slaves to their rightful owners
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Chapter 1. Standard 8.67 Lesson
( Pictured Above: The Compromise of 1850 overturned the Missouri Compromise and left the overall issue of
slavery unsettled.)
Compromise of 1850
TABLE 1.1:
North Gets
California admitted as a free state
Slave trade prohibited in Washington D.C.
Texas loses boundary dispute with New Mexico
South Gets
No slavery restrictions in Utah or New Mexico territories
Slaveholding permitted in Washington D.C.
Texas gets $10 million
Fugitive Slave Law
Who won and who lost in the deal? Although each side received benefits, the north seemed to gain the most. The
balance of the Senate was now with the free states, although California often voted with the south on many issues in
the 1850s. The major victory for the south was the Fugitive Slave Law. In the end, the north refused to enforce it.
Massachusetts even called for its nullification, stealing an argument from John C. Calhoun. Northerners claimed the
law was unfair. The flagrant violation of the Fugitive Slave Law set the scene for the tempest that emerged later in
the decade. But for now, Americans hoped against hope that the fragile peace would prevail.
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