LAD/Blog #14: Calhoun's Speech on the Compromise of 1850


From the start John Calhoun believed that the issue of slavery, if not addressed, would lead to disunion. There are deeper issues that differences between political parties, and many people in the South feel like they cannot safely remain a part of the United States. One of the causes of the larger discontent is the issue of slavery, and another is the equilibrium between the two sections of the government (the Senate and the House of Representatives). The amount of electoral votes and members of the House from the North will increase significantly when a new census is taken, and the amount of Senators will grow when new states are added to the country. Because all of the potential new states are in the North, the equilibrium will be destroyed. The loss of equilibrium can be blamed on the North, as they have taken aggressive actions such as attempting to influence Texas and attracting immigrants to significantly increase their population. With this power, the North could try to end slavery. If they did, the South would have to choose between accepting abolition or secession. The only way to maintain the union is by adopting measures that would guarantee the South the ability to not feel threatened by the North.
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John Calhoun


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Synthesis: Ben Franklin's political cartoon encouraging unity

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