Compromise of 1850: Slavery Territories Debate — Reading Comprehension

The Compromise of 1850 was a set of five laws passed by the United States Congress to address the growing conflict over slavery in new western territories. As the country expanded after the Mexican-American War, Americans fiercely debated whether these new lands would allow slavery. The issue was not just about economics, but also about political power and the future direction of the nation.

By 1850, tensions between the North and South had reached a crisis. The North, which had mostly abolished slavery, wanted new territories to remain free. The South, whose economy depended on enslaved labor, argued that new states should have the right to choose. Each side feared losing power in Congress. Southern leaders, like John C. Calhoun, warned that restricting slavery could break the country apart.

Henry Clay, a senator from Kentucky known as the "Great Compromiser," worked to find a solution. Clay proposed a package of laws that would balance both sides' interests. Under the Compromise, California would enter the Union as a free state, which pleased the North. However, the South received a new Fugitive Slave Act, requiring citizens to help return escaped enslaved people. This angered many Northerners, who saw it as forcing them to support slavery.

One of the most controversial parts of the Compromise was the idea of popular sovereignty. This meant that people living in the territories of New Mexico and Utah could vote on whether to allow slavery. Senator Stephen A. Douglas argued, "Let the people decide for themselves." However, this solution created more conflict. Pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers rushed to the territories, hoping to influence the outcome.

The Compromise of 1850 also included settling a border dispute between Texas and New Mexico and outlawing the slave trade (but not slavery itself) in Washington, D.C. Supporters claimed these measures would keep the Union together, at least for a time. President Millard Fillmore signed the laws, stating, "Peace has been restored to a distracted country." Yet, the compromise satisfied few people for long.

From the perspective of enslaved people and abolitionists, the Compromise was a step backward. The Fugitive Slave Act increased the dangers for those fleeing slavery and for free Black Americans in the North, who could be captured and sent south without a trial. Abolitionists like Frederick Douglass declared, "The only way to make the Fugitive Slave Law a dead letter is to make half a million abolitionists." For them, the law was unjust and immoral.

In contrast, many Southerners believed the Compromise protected their rights and preserved the balance of power. Still, some thought it did not go far enough to secure the future of slavery. The North and South remained deeply divided. The Compromise of 1850 delayed but did not resolve the underlying conflict. In the decade that followed, new debates over slavery continued, eventually leading to the Civil War.

This complex agreement shows how Americans tried, and failed, to settle their differences through negotiation. The Compromise of 1850 highlights the limits of compromise when the nation faced moral and political questions that could not be easily solved.

Interesting Fact: The famous anti-slavery novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin" by Harriet Beecher Stowe was inspired in part by the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.

Who proposed the Compromise of 1850?

Which state entered as a free state?

What did the Fugitive Slave Act require?

Why did Northerners dislike the Fugitive Slave Act?

What is popular sovereignty?

What did the Compromise try to solve?

The Compromise of 1850 ended all slavery in the U.S.

What does 'crisis' mean in this passage?