A+Divided+Nation

May 6, 2011 [] [] Goal: [] [] result: kept both sides happy for some time. result: did not pass and led to the Free-Soil Party (a group of people that followed the Wilmot Proviso documents) also (like I said before) sectionalism result: Free-Soil Party to help oppose the Democratics and Whigs to get the Wilmot Proviso out and heard. result: Compromise of 1850
 * The addition of new lands in the West renewed disputes over the expansion of slavery
 * The Compromise of 1850 tried to solve the disputes over slavery.
 * The Fugitive Slave Act caused more controversy.
 * Abolitionists used antislavery literature to promote opposition.
 * Antislavery literature and the annexation of new lands intensified the debate over slavery.
 * Cause || Effect ||
 * Missouri Compromis of 1820 - divided the Louisiana Purchase into either free or slave regions.
 * The Wilmot Proviso - a document that said that slavery shouldn't exist and led to a sectionalism debate between the North and the South
 * sectionalism in the states - Made Democrats and Whigs to not make a "clear position" on the slavery issue to attract voters in the election of 1848
 * conflict in the states and lots of friction between people - Senator Harry Clay (Kentucky) wanted to maintain peace within the states about the slavery issue. He wanted to give both sides what they wanted.
 * Compromise of 1850 - balance of free/slave states by admitting California as a free state, passing a more effective fugitive slave law, and allow popular sovereignty to decide free/slave states in the Mexican Cession land
 * Fugitive Slave Act - made helping runaway slaves illegal
 * antislavery - led to lots of literature and propaganda to try to promote itself

Most Important: I think that the Compromise of 1850 was the most important event. This is because it was a big effort to help make peace in the country. I think that was a huge step in the right direction for the US. That being said, I think that it stinks that it was unsuccessful.