B5) 1850 Comp & FSA Flashcards
1
Q
what did henry clay offer in 1850?
A
- set of resolutions as a basis for compromise:
- cali admitted as free st
- utah & n mex organised at terrs w/o any mentions/ resrictions of sl
- sl trading but not sl should end in washington
- a more stingent FSA should be passed to placate the s
2
Q
how did southerners see taylor’s wish for a hasty admission of cali + n mex?
A
- saw this as an insult, taylor becomes angry- threatening once to personally lead an army to enforce his laws
- taylor doesn’t supp clay’s bill
- he turns on south, not yankees as he had disliked before
3
Q
how did clay propose to solve tex-n mex dispute in jan 1850?
A
- to resolve tex- n mex dispute, tex should surrender the disputed land to n mex- compensation!- in return, congress should assume the $10million public debt that tex still owed- would reduce pot of a sl st tex but improve its fins
- so favours n mex
4
Q
who wants cali admitted as a free state?
A
- taylor & most n whigs
- (lower s whigs opposed)
- tensions between tay, DW, HC
5
Q
what type of politician were henry clay & daniel webster?
A
- moderate & concilliator- like daniel webste- they recived little support in a highly polarised congress
- spoke as americans not n/s- DW warns N not to taunt S w WP & nature would let sl die out in n mex
6
Q
how many resolutions were in clay’s first jan 1850 compromise?
A
- first six as pairs, offeringa concession to both sections
- the two more
-(so 8)
7
Q
who came up w the initial 1850 compromise?
A
- henry clay + a special senate committe of 3
8
Q
what did slave states do in june 1850?
A
- delegates from 9 slave states met at NASHVILLE
- due to disunion fever (since late winter)
- but comp was promising enough to diffuse this
9
Q
what was weak abt the june 1850 nashville meeting?
A
- fact that 6 sl st did not send delegates was disconcerting to ppl eager to quarrel & support secession (fireeaters)
- absence of whigs from the conference meant it had no mandate for radical action
10
Q
what happened 9th july 1850?
A
- Taylor died
- VP MILLARD FILMORE becomes pres- a northerner sympathetic to S (like tay sympathetic to N)
- comp is defeated & clay moves away while younger collegues pick up the peices
11
Q
what were filmore’s views on clay’s compromise?
A
- supported it
- but couldn’t save it being defeated in congress
- he shelved n mex’s application
12
Q
what did steven douglas do to the 1850 compromise?
A
- broke it doen & submitted each part of clay’s bill separately rather than in its entirety
- successfull- N & S vote for each clause how they like & moderates swng it
13
Q
what had happened by september 1850?
A
- all parts of douglas’ had passed through congress individually
- praised by douglas & other leaders as a settlement of dividing issues
14
Q
what was the result of the 1850 compromise after douglas split it?
A
- N believed Congress had surrenddered to S threats
- but N probs gained more
- FSA was N’s only major concession
- entry of cali as a free st- gave free states a maj in the senate
- utah & n mex hollow resolutions for S; likely to vote for free
- only postponed the issue
15
Q
what context lies around 1850 compromise?
A
- mis comp no longer working as solution
- sl debate at forfront of pol
- WP 1st time voting on sectional lines not P lines
- prob of cali as a free or sl st
- 1849- cali have a governer, state legislator & free st const (taylor wants them to be free st & join asap)
16
Q
why was the 1850 comp supported?
A
- 6 OF THE PAIRINGS SEEN TO FAVOUR n, BUT 2 last ones make up for it- so equal
- const sanctioned the power congress to exclude sl from territories
- upper S & lowe N more eager to comp
- moderates vote for it after steven douglas help to get it through
17
Q
why was the 1850 comp opposed?
A
- s feels the equilibrium of f & st had been destroyed & sl states could not remain in the union w their honer & safety- abt pride
- S seem to have unequal rights in the terrs
- ‘make up for it’- maybe too much- these 2 are abt a national scale, so more impactful
- congress have power to exclude sl, but some may view rule of god/ relig as higher- all men=equal- seward’s higher law speech
- FSA most divisive even tho not v debated part of comp- gave new lease to sl & security to slaveholders
18
Q
how was the FSA an exception for southerners?
A
- they favoured states rights, except in the case of FSA- would give national gov more power than any other law passed by congress
19
Q
what was lawful pre-FSAstringent?
A
- 1793 FSA
- sl owners authorized to cross st lines to capture ppl
- fugitive sl had no protection of habeas corpus, no right to trial by jury, no right to testify on own behalf
- proffessional sl catchers not always concerned w capturing the right man as long as they matched description- accidentally captured many free black ppl
- most did not bother to take sl to court before returning south
20
Q
what were personal liberty laws?
A
- enacted by several N states since pre-FSAstringent
- gave fugitives rights of testimony, habeas corpus & trial by jury
- immposed criminal penalties for kidnapping
- denied use of state facilities to help w recapturing
21
Q
what did the supreme court declare in 1842 after seeing case of a fugitive slave?
A
- PA anti-kidnapping law 1826 (PLL) ruled UNCONSTITUTIONAL & right to property overrode any state leg
- but also said that FSA enforcement was a federal responsibility- states don’t need to cooperate- this led to new flood of PLLs- 9 between 1842-50
22
Q
what opposition was there to the 1793 FSA?
A
- resistance from VIGILANCE COMMITTEES & UNDERGROUND RAILROAD- helped carry fug N towards freedom- mythologised, heroic to Ns, lawbreakers & stealing slaves to S
- Ss felt N aid to fug was an insult to S honour
23
Q
how many fugitive slaves were there pre-FSA?
A
- hard to say, few 100 every year- few from lower south
24
Q
how did Ns try to change the 1850 FSA?
A
- N senators try to add amendments guaranteeing sl rights, esp to testify, habeas corpus, jury trial, but Ss indignantly rejected the idea that American birthrights applied to sl
25
how was the 1850 FSA enforced?
- claimant could bring an alleged fug to a federal commissioner (post created by the law), and prove ownership- commisioner got $5 if against the claim, $10 if supp it; for 'paperwork', but became known by abs as bribery
- FSA required US marshalls to help sl owners, or face fine of $1000
- also forced citizens to help- penalties on harboring fug
26
was the 1850 FSA rigged & how did this show?
- rigged in favour of claimants
- 1st 15 months, 84 fugitives returned to sl, only 5 released
- 1850s- 332 returned, 11 free
- captured long-time free N residents
27
how were free black ppl affected by the 1850 FSA?
- captured ppl w failies/ jobs left behind
- if had connections, friends could buy their freedom, but not often possible
- free black communities affected- many fled to canada; black population of Ontario doubled in 1850s
28
who helped fugitive slaves?
- vigilance committes- helped them settle etc- 'as moral and religious men'
- many in boston- was the communications centre for abolitionism
- put up posters describing the 'man-stealers', harrassed them in the streets
29
what was fillmore's response to te bostonians?
- denounced them & threatened to send in federal troops in response to their stance against sl captures
30
how did communities denounce 1850 FSA?
- mobs
- eg 1851 - angry crowd gathered round federal courthouse & broke in to snatch fugitive sl (called Shadrach) who'd settled in boston as a waiter and was snatched from the coffehouse he worked in by agents he was serving coffee, and puthim on the underground railroad to canada
- Shadrach settled in montreal and opened up a restaurant!
31
how did conservative boston papers react to the shadrach case?
- called it an 'outrage... the triumph of mob law'
32
how did the federal gov try to enforce power over boston again?
- 1851, fug sl Thomas Sims, had found work also as a waiter, traced by his owner & the mayor of boston decided to allow the police to be deputised by federal marshalls to cooperate in his arrest
- officials gathered outside courthouse w a heavy chain (abs publicised as a symbol of sl's spread up north) & when he lost trial, was marched down to a ship taking him south to sl by 300 armed deputies & soldiers
