Why did Congress keep making compromises about the expansion of slavery?

Why did Congress keep making compromises about the expansion of slavery?

In an attempt to keep a legislative balance between the pro- and anti- slavery factions, the Missouri Compromise delineated which states would be free and which would not. African Americans obviously opposed slavery and news of some congressional opposition to its expansion circulated widely within slave communities.

Why did Congress pass the compromise?

Compromise of 1850, in U.S. history, a series of measures proposed by the “great compromiser,” Sen. Henry Clay of Kentucky, and passed by the U.S. Congress in an effort to settle several outstanding slavery issues and to avert the threat of dissolution of the Union.

What was the purpose of compromises?

To compromise is to make a deal between different parties where each party gives up part of their demand. In arguments, compromise is a concept of finding agreement through communication, through a mutual acceptance of terms—often involving variations from an original goal or desires.

What compromises were made over the slavery issue?

Timeline of Compromises over Slavery

• —Preamble to the United States Constitution.
• The Constitution.
• Fugitive Slave Act (1793)
• Missouri Compromise (1820)
• Second Missouri Compromise (1821)
• “Gag rule” in Congress (1831-1844)
• Compromise of 1850.
• Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)

What were the 11 free states?

Free States 1857

• California.
• Connecticit.
• Illinois.
• Indiana.
• Iowa.
• Maine.
• Massachusetts.
• Michigan.

What effect did congressional balance between free states and slaves states have prior to the Civil War?

The maintenance of the balance was tied to the Constitution and how the document organized Congress. While a balance was maintained for much of the antebellum period, the various compromises conceded much to the South. The delicate balance eventually crumbled and led to the Civil War.