Missouri Compromise Of 1850 Essay

Throughout the United States history, particularly during the mid 1770s to the 1960s, tension erupted in regards to slavery between the Northern and Southern states. Both states were evolving into their own distinct society. The Northern states were rapidly expanding in successful industrial developments, foreign trade, and commerce banking. At the same time, the Southern states were swiftly expanding in agriculture, were growing dependent on the production of cotton and enslaved African Americans. Additionally, numerous western territories were being acquired and as a result the Southern states wanted to expand slavery into the western territories but the Northern states opposed the expansion of slavery creating conflict. Although, there were

The Missouri Compromise of 1820 sparked debate in regards to the expansion of slavery into the western territories. Missouri requested statehood but wanted to come in as a slave state. Having Missouri come in, as a slave state would disrupt the equal balance between free and slave states. In an effort to regulate slavery in the western states, Jesse Thomas suggested that an amendment to be implemented into the Missouri Compromise that would ban slavery north of latitude 36°30’ in the Louisiana Purchase. This would include the Southern border of Missouri and the area west of Mississippi. Meanwhile, Maine had also applied for statehood. The Senate proposed to add Missouri as slave state and add Maine as a free state to keep the power in congress balanced out. Furthermore, issues arose because Missouri’s proposed state constitution stated that free blacks or mixed races were not

After successfully gaining their independence Texas legalized slavery, banned free blacks and applied for statehood. The attempt of annexing Texas into the United States consequently erupted in sectional disputes between the North and South over enslavement. President John Tyler’s attempt in annexing Texas as a slave state eventually succeeded in 1845. Soon after James K. Pol gained precedency, the furious Mexican government cut off ties with the U.S. due to the annexation of Texas. A few days after cutting ties off with the U.S. Mexican troops killed eleven, eventually leading to the start of the Mexican-American War. Although not everyone agreed in declaring war, President Polk reassured Congress that he was not fighting the war to expand slavery but instead used the concept of manifest destiny to expand towards the west in hopes of instilling unity upon the nation. After a series of numerous battles that took place between March 1846 and April 1848 the end of the war lead to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. This treaty recognized that most if not all parts of present-day California, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Wyoming, Colorado, and the border of Texas was to be under the authority of the United States. The acquisition of such a large amount of land added to the unresolved issue of slavery. The South was all for adding another slave state to U.S. as this was going to work in their