The Fight for Slavery in CaliforniaBy James M. McPherson

Presentation by Devin Koppel

History 141

Slavery in New Territories The events that took place from

1945-1848 in the American Southwest allowed for expansion of slavery

This happened despite the Missouri Compromise of 1820 and the “Proviso” that banned slavery attained in the Mexican War

Beliefs regarding slavery split the county into Northern and Southern territories, causing great concern for the Republic's future

The “Natural Limits” theory states that the Civil War was unnecessary Territories of Utah and New Mexico legalized slavery in 1852 and 1859, and California's representatives were mainly pro-slavery in the 1850'sThe treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo transferred California to the US from Mexico in 1848, and around the same time the first flecks of gold were discovered in a riverbed near SacramentoBy the spring of 1849, thousands from all over the US and other countries had plans to immigrate to California

The Gold Rush Rumors of gold were proved when over two hundred

ounces of pure gold was sent to Washington

Men immigrated to mining camps in San Francisco – these camps required law and order, courts, and other institutions of government

In October 1849, California settlers created a state constitution and petitioned to Congress

President Taylor believed statehood would prevent the issue of slavery in California as a territory

The state constitution banned slavery, but Southern states proclaimed that the exclusion of slavery was an unconstitutional violation of southern rights

California's Free State constitution was denounced by those who wanted to utilize their slaves during the gold rush and by those who feared a drastic change in the balance of power between North and South

With the emergence of free states, Southerners pushed for additional laws that would keep the slaves in their possession with no chance to escape to free states

Balance of Power The preservation of the balance of power was a main

concern of Jefferson Davis, and Robert Toombs (a rich slave holder)

If California was added as the sixteenth free state, their fear is that the balance of power against slave states would be tipped in favor of free states

The conflict over California caused concern for possible war and secession

Senator Henry Clay proposed a compromise that would offset the admission of California as a free state by admitting New Mexico and Utah without restrictions on slavery, as well as imposing a new “fugitive slave law”

The law assured the return of slaves who had escaped to free states, and was passed by Congress in 1850, and Southerners continued to protest the admission of California despite the compromises made

The fears of shifting the balance of power proved unnecessary

“Chivalry” and Proslavery Chivalry – the coalition of Southern-born politicians that

dominated the Democratric Party of California in 1850

These men worked to encourage slavery by voting for every proslavery measure that the Southern Democrats demanded

In addition to the use of politics, the Chivalry also killed their opposition and made repeated efforts to bring slavery into some or all of California

As laws supporting slavery were passed and lapsed, the proslavery force came up with the idea to split the state into a Northern and Southern territory with the Southern portion opening to slavery, however all of the gold mines were in the Nothern territory, but their compromise then was to adapt southern California to an agriculture land of cotton, rice, and sugar

The Compromise of 1850 was considered temporarily, but he bill was denied in Congress and California remained one state

The Chivalry dominated in california politics and fueled the proslavery movement in the national Democratic Party, however their struggle for power alienated Northern voters and strengthened the anti-slavery Republican power