Events that left to the Civil War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Events that left to the Civil War - Essay Example Most northerners had no problem with the idea of states rights. However, they believed that slavery was to be ruled by the United States federal law so no state had the right to secede when it came to this. This became a source of conflict between the north and south. As a result of this, antislavery groups made up of people calling themselves abolitionists were formed. Consequently people and especially the minority groups who were mainly slaves learned new ideas about human rights and freedom. With the fear that the federal government of the United States would force them to give up slavery, southern politicians opted to balance the number of free sates and slave states. 1Arnold points out that â€Å"if the number of free states was the same as the number of slave states, there was political balance.† The number of states that allowed slavery was thus eleven while eleven states banned slavery. Until 1820, conflict between the northern and southern states was avoided since th e number of free and slave states had remained equal. However, this balance was disturbed by the expansion of the United States west of river Mississippi. By 1820, many southerners had moved to the region of Missouri, and taken their slaves with them despite the fact that Missouri was geographically located in the north. In the same year Missouri became the first state in the territory of Louisiana to apply for admission into the Union. Missouri had thousands of slaves then so it was given that it would apply for admission as a slave state. This would however, distort the balance between free and slave states. Consequently, political leaders had to make agreements and compromises to keep the nation together. The United States House of Representatives was controlled by the north and there was no way it was going to allow slavery to expand in Missouri. To prevent the expansion of slavery, the House of Representatives passed a bill aimed and gradually eliminating slaves in Missouri. Ac cording to the bill, no new slaves were to be brought into Missouri, and children of Missouri slaves, upon reaching the age of twenty five would be declared free. Although the House of Representatives passed this law, it was turned down by the senate, which had equal representation of the north and the south. The problem with this bill was solved by Henry Clay, who proposed a compromise. To pacify the south, 2Hazen points out that â€Å"Clay suggested that Missouri be permitted to enter the Union as a slave state since that was what she already was in reality.† To appease the north, Clay suggested that slavery be barred for ever from the remaining regions of Louisiana territory. Meanwhile, Maine which had also applied for admission into the Union would be admitted as a free state. The solution would thus maintain a balance of twelve free and twelve slave states. After a long, bitter and ugly debate between the northern and southern congressmen, the Missouri Compromise was pas sed. Missouri was admitted into the union as a slave state while Maine was admitted as a free state and slavery was banned in the northern part of Louisiana territory. Consequently, peace between the north and the south was restored for several more decades. For several decades’ peace between the north and south was maintained by the Missouri Compromise. However, in 1850, the issue of slavery and its expansion surfaced again. In 1848, Gold