The Compromise of 1850

The Compromise of 1850
Until 1845, it had seemed that slavery would be confined to the areas where it had already existed. The Missouri Compromise in 1820 created a political barrier. Many territories further west were now asking for admittance as states, and the argument arose as to whether these should by designated slave or free.
Many Northerners believed that if not allowed to spread slavery would eventually disappear. However, the annexation of Texas to the United States and the gain of new territory at the close of the Mexican War in 1848 aggravated the hostility between North and South concerning the question of the extension of slavery into the territories. The antislavery forces favored the proposal to exclude slavery from all the lands acquired from Mexico.
Shortly after in 1849 California wanted admittance to the Union as a ...