The Compromise of 1850

Compromise of 1850

Henry Clay

Slavery in the New Territories?

The Compromise of 1850 was primarily about the issue of slavery in America's new territories acquired after the Mexican War, though other, less important issues were included as well. California had already adopted an anti-slavery constitution and appliedfor statehood. The question, then, was whether slavery should be allowed in the new territories. Both pro-slavery and anti-slavery advocates argued over the issue, yet neither side was strong enough to administer a plan of action.

The Union is Threatened; Clay Brokers Another Compromise

The slavery issue quickly became a crisis that threatened the Union. In an attempt to maintain a balance between free and slave states, Henry Clay offered the famous compromise. Clay's Compromise called for the admission of California as a free state, the organization of the new territories of New Mexico and Utah, with the slavery issue left to those citizens, settlement of border disputes between Texas and New Mexico, a prohibition of slave trade in the District of Columbia, and a more stringent Fugitive Slave Law which outlined penalties for individuals who harbored runaway slaves. The compromise was accepted by moderates throughout the country, and may have postponed southern secession for a decade.

Learn more about: Mexican-American War | Henry Clay

A Band-Aid on a Gaping Wound

Although the Compromise of 1850 was a good temporary solution, its precedent led to future violence in Kansas, and ultimately, could not prevent the onset of the Civil War eleven years later.

United States of America in 1850

Discussion Questions

  1. Why was the Compromise of 1850 necessary after the Mexican-American War?
  2. What were the key parts of Henry Clay's Compromise of 1850, and how did each part try to balance the interests of free and slave states?
  3. How did the stricter Fugitive Slave Law affect tensions between the North and South?
  4. In what ways did the Compromise of 1850 delay, but not prevent, the Civil War?

Slavery in the New Territories

The Compromise of 1850 was mostly about whether slavery should be allowed in the new western lands gained after the Mexican-American War. California had already written an anti-slavery constitution and wanted to become a state. People on both sides of the slavery debate argued, but neither side had enough power to decide the issue.

The Union is Threatened; Clay Offers a Compromise

The debate over slavery became serious and threatened to divide the country. To keep peace between free and slave states, Henry Clay proposed a compromise. His plan allowed California to join as a free state, let people in Utah and New Mexico decide about slavery, settled a border fight between Texas and New Mexico, banned the slave trade in Washington, D.C., and made a stricter law to catch runaway slaves. Many moderates accepted the compromise, and it likely delayed the Civil War by ten years.

A Temporary Solution

The Compromise of 1850 helped for a little while, but it did not solve the slavery issue. Later, violence in Kansas and other events led to the Civil War eleven years later.
Compromise of 1850 Activities
  • Compromise of 1850 - Front Page News! - This activity requires students to create the cover of a newspaper (with images) that features the four stipulations of the Compromise of 1850.
  • Henry Clay - the Peacemaker - This prompt describes the role Henry Clay played in brokering the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850 and then asks students to write about a time that they've played "peacemaker."