The 1850s: The Issue of Slavery and Its Effects The 1850s were a controversial decade. It was the decade that led up the American Civil War. The enforcement of slavery was the main issue at the time. The two Presidents in office during this time were Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan, played a role in the outcome of the tensions that arose from it. These three Presidents had different ideologies regarding slavery that affected the decisions and laws created during the time. It seemed like they were all just trying to appease Southerners so that the situation would not get worse. These poor decisions, along with poor leadership may had certainly led to the Civil War and it could have possibly been prevented. Slavery had …show more content…
By this time, the Fugitive Slave Law was already in full effect, along with the Compromise of 1850. The Compromise of 1850 arose after Southerners and Northerners argued whether California and the California Territory should have slaves of not. Southerners wanted slaves in California and that territory, while Northerners did not. Created by Henry Clay, the Compromise of 1850 said that California was to be free of slavery and the California Territory had popular sovereignty. That meant that the people occupying these territories could vote and decide if slavery should be there or …show more content…
He too had poor leadership for the United States when they needed it the most. Pierce was a Northern Democrat who Southerners elected to run in the 1853 election. He too was trying to pacify Southerners and was willing to create policies that would cement slavery in the South. There was a downside to Pierce, he was always trying to look for diversions. He attempted over and over again to get people off the major topics of the country and onto other things. During the time that Pierce was in office, the Nebraska and Kansas Bill occurred, along with “Bleeding