The Extension of Slavery Into the American West

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The prospect of slavery’s extension into the American West most certainly shaped sectional politics by inflaming grievances and tensions, and sparking heated and occasionally violent protests, yet compromise sometimes was reached – occasionally among strange political bedfellows – in the interest of holding off the specter of civil war. This paper will focus on the issues surrounding the possible extension of slavery into the following areas: the Missouri Territory and the Louisiana Purchase in general, Texas (annexation), the Oregon Territory, California (annexation), Nebraska (unorganized), and the Kansas Territory. The initial conflict over the extension of slavery westward focused on the territory acquired in the Louisiana Purchase in general and, in specific, application for statehood by the Missouri Territory. In 1819, there were 11 slave and 11 free states. In the interest of keeping the slave-state / free-state balance, a compromise decision was reached: Missouri would be admitted to the union as a slave state, Maine (formerly part of Massachusetts) would be admitted to the union as a free state, and slavery would not be permitted elsewhere in the Louisiana Territory north of 36°30’. The next sectional debate focused on the possible annexation of Texas, and the imbalance that would result if Texas were to be admitted as a slave state – including fears that such a large territory could be divided into multiple states. Mexico had achieved independence from Spain, but its success depended upon achieving an independent economic prosperity, and Texas seemed the key to this success. Undeveloped regions in East Texas seemed ideally suited to plantation agriculture, and Great Britain – in the midst of an industrial revoluti... ... middle of paper ... ...ka Act already had repealed this tenet of the Compromise, this court decision further challenged the idea of popular sovereignty in regard to any election result that might impose any restrictions on slavery. Regarding the pro-slavery Lecompton Constitution: the constitutional convention (pro-slavery) convened, but the vote was boycotted by the free-staters, who claimed it was rigged. The legislature (anti-slavery) convened and called a second election, but it was boycotted by pro-slavery advocates. President Buchanan supported the Lecompton Constitution and it was passed in 1858, but anti-Lecompton Democrats in the House of Representatives put through an amendment for a new and supervised popular vote. Ultimately, although it postponed statehood for Kansas until required population levels were reached, voters overwhelmingly rejected the Lecompton Constitution.

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