Compromise of 1850
On January 29, 1850, Henry Clay presented a compromise to congress to keep the nation united. It was called the Compromise of 1850. Clay couldn't get it officially ushered through Congress for eight months. He needed the help of Daniel Webster, the Senator from Massachusetts, John C, Calhoun, the Senator from South Carolina, and most importantly, Stephen Douglas. The compromise (somewhat and/or temporarily) resolved several issues plaguing the U.S. Congress at the time: the recently acquired vast territory, California, the dispute over the Texas border, and the slave problem in Washington D.C.. Henry Clay's main goal was to keep the balance in the nation, so he had to divide the compromise equally so both the north and the south would be satisfied.
Due to the compromise, California was admitted to the Nation as the 16th free state, slave trade was prohibited in Washington D.C., and Texas lost its boundary dispute to New Mexico (all of these factors, of course were in favor of the north). Also due to the compromise, No slave restrictions were placed on the newly acquired vast territories in Utah and New Mexico, slave-holding was permitted in Washington D.C. (not slave trading), the D.C. Fugitive Slave Law was passed, and Texas gained $10 million (all these factors, of course, were in favor of the south). Even though the north seemed to gain the most, the Fugitive Slave Law was the most controversial. The Fugitive Slave Law required northerners to capture and return runaway African-American slaves to the south under penalty of law. Even free African-Americans were captured and sent to the south. The compromise denied fugitives a right to a jury trial, so this caused many injustices. This also caused the peak of the Underground Railroad in the 1850s and 1860s. The Compromise of 1850 kept the nation settled, but the effects were temporary.
Due to the compromise, California was admitted to the Nation as the 16th free state, slave trade was prohibited in Washington D.C., and Texas lost its boundary dispute to New Mexico (all of these factors, of course were in favor of the north). Also due to the compromise, No slave restrictions were placed on the newly acquired vast territories in Utah and New Mexico, slave-holding was permitted in Washington D.C. (not slave trading), the D.C. Fugitive Slave Law was passed, and Texas gained $10 million (all these factors, of course, were in favor of the south). Even though the north seemed to gain the most, the Fugitive Slave Law was the most controversial. The Fugitive Slave Law required northerners to capture and return runaway African-American slaves to the south under penalty of law. Even free African-Americans were captured and sent to the south. The compromise denied fugitives a right to a jury trial, so this caused many injustices. This also caused the peak of the Underground Railroad in the 1850s and 1860s. The Compromise of 1850 kept the nation settled, but the effects were temporary.