Honors United States History Essay

Prompt: Analyze the ways in which controversy over the extension of slavery into western
territories contributed to the coming of the Civil War. Confine your answer to the period 18451861.
The controversial extension of slavery through the new territory can directly be linked to
the Civil War, which historical evidence further confirms. The looming arrival of the Civil War
was inevitable because of events like the Compromise of 1850, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, and
the Freeport Doctrine, which assisted in creating more division between the two sides.
Firstly, the country was struggling to find middle ground during the late 1840s to 1850 on
various topics. The south wanted slavery to expand into the new territories being acquired out
west. The north, however, insisted that slavery be confined to its established borders and that
California be admitted as a free state; this would mean that thered be more free states in the
country. This fact upset the south because they feared the abundance of free representation in the
government would lead to issues being solved in favor of northern policies. They feared a biased
national government. Henry Clay worked on a plan that would hopefully make both sides
happy: the Compromise of 1850. In this, California would be admitted as a free state and the
slave trade would be illegal in Washington DC, much to the joy of the north. The south received
the notion of popular sovereignty in the new western domains particular areas include the Utah
territory and New Mexico territory and a stricter Fugitive Slave Law. However, the north,
furious over the enforcements and punishments for those breaking the Fugitive Slave Law, and
the south, upset over the admission of California, which did cause the free states to outnumber
the slave states, only grew more displeased with each other.
The Kansas-Nebraska Act also continued to fuel the fire. Kansas and Nebraska wanted to
be admitted as states, and the south insisted that they be added as proslavery states. Before the
country could break out into an all-out battle, it was decided that popular sovereignty would used
to decide, meaning the citizens of that are could vote on which they wanted. However,
influencers were sent from both sides of the country in an attempt to sway the vote. People who
did not live in the territories also came in just to vote. The situation resulted in a mutual disgust
between the north and south for their efforts, though no true battle ever came about yet.
Lastly, the Freeport Doctrine came about during a debate between Lincoln and Douglas
in Illinois. A pivotal piece of background information is that the Dred Scott case stated that a
state/territory could not make slavery as a whole illegal. The Dred Scott decision basically stated
that if a slave owner were to move north or to a free territory, the slavery must be accepted, and
the slave will continue to be a slave under all circumstances. Douglas, at the time, wanted to
maintain a friendly relationship with the south because he wanted more railways connecting
them to Illinois, specifically Chicago. During a debate, Lincoln asked Douglas a question
somewhere along the lines of can a state even be considered free at all if slavery cant be
illegal? In either situation, Douglass would either lose the trust of the south or north. He
answered that regulations could be put in place that can prevent it from fully being allowable, i.e.
land limitations. Not only did this upset the south, but it split the Democratic Party. This split can

be contributed to Lincolns presidential victory in 1860. The south was furious over Douglass
statement; the Dred Scott decision stated that slavery could not be made illegal. This can be
considered one of the final nails in the coffin, being that the secession of South Carolina came
after Lincolns presidential victory in the Election of 1860.