Collapse in Compromise
Collapse In Compromise DBQ
After many decades of progress and growth, American’s witnessed a great threat to the young nation. Compromises created the new nation, including of those made by the Founding Fathers. Since that time compromises had kept the nation together and allowed it to prosper. However, it was the increasing conflicts caused by slavery that finally lead to the crash of compromises in the mid 1800’s. The nation was divided into two parts, the North and South whereas the North was for abolition and the South to continue slavery. The South’s economy was so dependent on slavery which is why it sectionalized the country and left a deep wound. Compromise could not be easily achieved in this time of chaos due to the political disputes and disagreements regarding slavery as well as differences in morals by opposing parties.
By 1860, there was a dramatic change in the political views on slavery that lead to the timely collapse of compromise. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 and the Compromise of 1850 were landmark agreements created by Henry Clay. His intended to blind the nation together. In 1833, Henry Clay stated that, “it is impossible that South Carolina even desired for a moment to secure separate of ‘independent state’” (Doc A). His point of view may lead him to feel this way being that he was a Northerner who created the American System. This system was an economic plan to relocate African slaves to Africa. In addition the anti-slavery convention in 1834 did not believe congress had the “right to interfere with any of the slave states” (Doc B). This demonstrated the beginning of the lack of compromise within the states. The opposing parties had become so distinct and defined with their strong views, neither was willing to determine whether congress could even play a role in determining that outcome from these tensions. Also, after northerns disgust for the compromise of 1850 and the issuing of the Wilmot Proviso, slavery threatened political disintegration. This sectionalism played a role in the election of 1860 when Lincoln ran. Not a single Southern state had voted for Lincoln (Doc . This political division over the issue of slavery eventually led to Southern secession and hence a collapse in compromise.
Additionally, the moral and social conflict over slavery increased to higher levels during this time period that also terrorized compromise. The large reform movement in the United States included an increase in the power if abolitionism. Garrison's “Liberator” called for immediate emancipation of slaves, and many free African Americans, such Fredrick Douglas called