Slave States, Free States Name:
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Slavery: The Deep Divide
The United States may have started out with only thirteen states,
but it soon began to grow. As each new state joined the union,
everyone wanted to know if it would be a slave state or a free
state. The issue of slavery was slowly driving a wedge through the
United States. Abolitionists believed slavery was wrong. They
wanted to abolish slavery completely, or at least keep slavery from
spreading by making sure all new states would be free states. Most
slave owners relied on slave labor to run their businesses. They
believed they would lose their wealth without slavery, and they
wanted new states to allow slavery. Each side was determined not
to let the other side get any advantage.
A Different Kind of “Equality”
Missouri’s application triggered an uproar. If Missouri were admitted,
the balance would be gone. After months of debate, the Missouri
Compromise saved the day: Missouri would be admitted as a slave
state, and a new state—Maine—would be created as a free state. To
avoid future problems, they also mapped out which parts of the rest
of America’s territory could become slave and free states. For almost
30 years, America kept the balance as more states joined the Union.
But by 1850, the U.S. had grown all the way to the Pacific coast.
This new land was not subject to the Missouri Compromise, and
debate over whether slavery would be allowed in the new territory
threatened to tear the nation apart.
When “Compromise” Means Going Backward
When California applied for statehood in 1849, there were 15 slave
states and 15 free states. California wanted to be a free state, but—
you guessed it!—that would upset the balance. The Compromise of
1850 tried to satisfy both sides. California would become a free state,
but the new territories of Utah and New Mexico would decide for
themselves whether to allow slavery. As part of the bargain, slave
trading would become illegal in Washington, D.C., the nation’s largest
slave market. But a new Fugitive Slave Act penalized citizens for
helping runaway slaves and required them to cooperate with the
process of returning slaves to their owners. All of this kept the nation
together… for the moment.
Balancing Act
There was one thing keeping the slavery issue in check: balance in
government. This was achieved by always making sure there was
an equal number of free and slave states. This balance was critical!
Each state gets to send two people to the U.S. Senate. An equal
number of senators from free and slave states meant neither side
had an advantage for getting laws passed. By 1819, there was a
delicate balance of 11 free states and 11 slave states. But then,
Missouri—a territory that allowed slavery—applied for statehood.
FREE SLAVE
There were fierce emotions on both sides of
the slavery debate.
Buying and selling people was dehumanizing
and degrading, but that alone didn’t stop it.
Slave owners put runaway slave
notices in papers across the country.
