Compromise of 1850: Henry Clay, Stephen Douglas | California's statehood, Fugitive Slave Law

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The United States received over one million square miles of Mexico following the Mexican War in 1848. Gold was discovered in Coloma, California that year, and the Gold Rush was on. California quickly has the population and state constitution ready for admission as a state to the union.

However, Congress is divided evenly between free states and slave states. The Senate is evenly divided, fifteen states each. A crisis opens over whether California will be free or slave.

Henry Clay proposes that California be admitted as a free state, while proposing Congress not interfere with the other territories received from Mexico. Clay also proposes to end the sale of slaves in the capital, while maintaining slavery there. He recommends a strengthened fugitive slave law.

However, his attempt to find a middle ground is rejected. John C. Calhoun of South Carolina rejects any limitations on slavery. Meanwhile, northerners are electing Free Soil candidates to congress.

President Zachary Taylor dies in 1850. He is replaced by Millard Fillmore.

Stephen Douglas of Illinois advises Congress to vote on small bills instead of being deadlocked on a large bill. Douglas is an advocate of "popular sovereignty," the idea that the new states, not Congress, determine whether that state will be admitted as a free or slave states.

In September, 1850, Congress passes several bills that will come to be collectively known as the Compromise of 1850.

The compromise admits California as a free state.
The territories of Utah and New Mexico will follow "popular sovereignty."
Slaves will no longer be allowed to be sold in the capital Washington.
The fugitive slave law will be strengthened.

The restrengthened fugitive slave law allows marshals to enter northern towns to find runaway slaves. Northerners are angered by the fugitive slave law. The north-south sectional crisis is not solved. Both sides become more entrenched.

[phillippeterman]

Excellent! Great explanation of the compromises - that really only delayed the inevitable…..

[maryellenmeyer]

Great job! Wonderful visuals and a significant part of history I wasn’t taught in school

[grmusic]

Great job as always! I really like the use of primary sources such as newspaper clippings (and also the daffodils, snow, and other timeless scenes). Re: the Fugitive Slave Act and the frictions it introduced, here in PA near the Mason Dixon line there was an altercation in Lancaster County known locally as the "Christiana Riot." I'll bet there were other similar things in other places that are now mostly commemorated by little more than roadside signs but tell interesting stories.

[ah]

You've quickly become my absolute favorite channel on youtube. You're videos are so clearly explained and the visuals are simple yet informative. Thanks! Keep up the good work!

[milespega]

Late Night uploads! Im here either way! History never sleeps!

[snapmalloy]

What a fantastic presentation. Your channel has become one of my favorites

[incognitofla]

From a prospective of someone watching as a series, the repeat of facts is frustrating. Good presentation and love the no fluff approach.

[kaneinkansas]

The Compromise of 1850 had enormous affect, in favor of the North, in the outcome of the Civil War that few could have seen coming. From 1850 to 1856 an enormous economic boom erupted centered on the North, centered on the extension of railroads especially in the Midwest. By 1856 the Midwest was thoroughly imbedded with a density of railroads as dense as that in the Northeast. Furthermore the two halves of the north were firmly, densely, stitched together into something of a cohesive whole - including bridging of the Mississippi River in Northern Illinois into Iowa, and the network centered on Chicago.

Recall that at the turn of the century, the big agricultural states were politically aligned with the Southern states - as both consisting of large areas states, not as densely populated as the Northeast, and coming together under Jefferson's vision of America's destiny consisting of Yeomen farmers.

But in 1825 the Erie Canal was completed and that began a process of the old Northwest (today's Midwest) re-orienting itself increasingly with the North. Northern Capital flowed out to the Northwest and was followed by Northeastern immigrants (as New England had been doubling its population ever 23 years since the settlement of Boston by the Puritans) pushing out to farm the land, and consequently shipping agricultural output east down the Erie Canal. The populations of the North East were so great that they needed to import food from outside the region, as did much of NorthWest Europe which was experiencing a population boom itself. Germany especially sent millions to settle inland Ohio, Indiana, Southern Illinois and Iowa.

The railroads and the industrial expansion in the Midwest that resulted firmly stitched the northeast and Northwest together into a whole and the industrial expansion that went with the railroad boom put the North's economy on an entirely different footing than that of the South. The intense industrial and agricultural economy of the North went with a much higher population density and therefor population than the South. The medium sized free farms that dominated the north country side provided a widespread middle class existence - unique to the modern world. Literacy was wide spread - perhaps the affect of Calvanistic and other Protestant religions, and literacy and education paved the way for the Industrialization which required education to absorb the complexities of industrialization.

In 1856 the boom hit a bust, and a profound economic recession would hit that would last the rest of the decade right up until the Civil War started. But the die had been cast. The North consisted of a reasonably cohesive entity held together by railroads and telegraph and newspaper in a relatively well educated mass middle-class-ish population with an equally sophisticated economy and more than twice the population of the South. If the South stood any chance of winning a Civil War, it was before the boom of the early 1850s.

In my mind the Compromise of 1850 meant, that when the Civil War did arrive, the South stood little chance of succeeding.

[dm]

Hey Jeff, thanks for the high quality vids. Wondering if you ever have plans to tackle the Chatanooga and Chikamauga Military battles?

[automaticmattywhack]

I am so glad I didn't live thru that era. Imagine having to watch a neighbor being dragged away and not being able to do anything. Great video as usual!

[maryellenmeyer]

Didn’t know this part of history in our nation’s western expansion
Wonderful visuals

[jwestney]

Big help in my on-going effort to understand the matter of slavery from the time the constitution was ratified up to the time that we went to war over it. THANK YOU!

[ianfitzpatrick]

Bless your heart for saying Nevada the way the locals do

[EngRMP]

Once again, what a wonderful summary of these key events that we should probably all have learned in school... and, together, we'd only get reading a number of history books. I love learning history this way. I can only imagine how tense the interactions must have been between these southern slave hunters and the northern abolitionists. And, if Spain had discovered gold in California, I wonder if California would still be part of Spain today.

[stevecooper]

2:05 Fun Fact: Utah was already settled with 12, 000 Mormons by 1850, but wouldn't reach the "60, 000 free men" population benchmark for statehood until around 1865, and by then the Radical Republican Congress of postwar years would delay statehood agreements and cut down the size of Utah territory all the way into the 1890s due to one of the "twin pillars of barbarism", that is, polygamy.

[wayfaerer]

This video clearly illustrates in detail exactly what caused the Civil War - the inability of Americans to agree on the future of slavery. It was the catalyst that led to war. The South seceded because of its perceived exestential threat to their economic well-being, their culture, and their literal way of life. There is zero question as to why they wanted out of the Union (the economic powerhouse that drove their economy - slavery).

[marjus]

Looks like I’m not sleeping tonight! Fresh off the Jeffrey presses. Let’s go 🔥🔥

[kickapootrackers]

America the beautiful 😅, good Vid. Tya

[mns]

We are again at the same juncture inwhich exercising the rights of people who advocate for the freedom 0f others has just been curtailed in the house.

[scottanno]

Honey wake up, Jeff the Librarian just dropped.