Clayton Compromise facts for kids

The Clayton Compromise was a plan created in 1848 to help organize new lands in the United States. It tried to solve a big problem: whether slavery should be allowed in these new territories. A group of senators, led by John M. Clayton, came up with this idea.

The plan said that Oregon could keep its laws against slavery. But it stopped the new governments in New Mexico and California from making any laws about slavery. Instead, any disagreements about slavery in these areas would be decided by the Supreme Court of the United States.

The Senate passed this plan on July 27, 1848. But it failed in the United States House of Representatives. A group of Southern politicians, led by Alexander H. Stephens, stopped it. Stephens believed the Supreme Court would rule against slavery, which he thought would harm the South's rights.

What Was the Clayton Compromise?

The Clayton Compromise was a bill proposed in 1848. It aimed to set up governments for the new territories. These lands were gained after the Mexican–American War and the Oregon boundary dispute.

Here's what the compromise suggested:

• For Oregon Territory: It allowed Oregon's existing laws against slavery to stay in place. This would continue until the new local government could decide on the issue.
• For New Mexico and California: It specifically stopped their new governments from making any laws about slavery. This meant they could not allow or ban slavery themselves.
• For all territories: Any big questions about slavery would be sent to the Supreme Court of the United States. The Supreme Court would make the final decision.

The idea was to let the Supreme Court settle the argument about slavery in these new areas.

Why Was This Plan Needed?

In the 1800s, many Americans believed in something called Manifest Destiny. This was the idea that the United States was meant to expand its land all the way to the Pacific Ocean. As the country grew westward, it gained huge new territories.

Lands from Mexico

The Mexican–American War was fought from 1846 to 1848. After the war, Mexico gave a large area of land to the U.S. This land is now parts of the Southwest United States. This new land led to a big debate: Should slavery be allowed there?

Another idea, called the Wilmot Proviso, was also suggested in 1848. It wanted to ban slavery completely in all the lands gained from Mexico. This was a different choice from the Clayton Compromise.

Oregon Territory

In 1846, the U.S. also settled a border dispute with Great Britain. This gave the U.S. control over the Oregon Territory. This area included what are now the states of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. It also included parts of Wyoming and Montana. Like the lands from Mexico, the question of slavery in Oregon also caused arguments.

Why the Compromise Failed

The Clayton Compromise passed in the Senate. But it did not pass in the House of Representatives. The House preferred the Wilmot Proviso, which wanted to ban slavery in the new territories.

Most Southern politicians, both Democrats and Whigs, supported the Clayton Compromise. They hoped it would protect their interests. However, many Northern politicians opposed it. They wanted to stop slavery from spreading.

A key reason the compromise failed was Alexander H. Stephens from Georgia. He and seven other Southern Whigs voted against it. Stephens believed the compromise would eventually lead to the Supreme Court banning slavery in the territories. He thought this would take away the South's constitutional rights. If these eight politicians had voted differently, the Clayton Compromise might have passed.

What Happened Next?

Since the Clayton Compromise failed in 1848, the arguments over slavery continued. This led to another major agreement in 1850, known as the Compromise of 1850.

The Compromise of 1850 included several parts:

• California was added to the U.S. as a free state (where slavery was not allowed).
• The people in the new territories from Mexico could decide for themselves if they wanted slavery (this was called popular sovereignty).
• New, stricter laws were made to help slave owners get back enslaved people who had escaped.
• The buying and selling of enslaved people was stopped in Washington, D.C..