Peace Conference of 1861 facts for kids
The Peace Conference of 1861 was an important meeting held in February 1861. About 131 leading American politicians gathered at the Willard's Hotel in Washington, D.C.. This happened just before the start of the American Civil War. The main goal of the conference was to try and stop eight slave states from leaving the Union. These states were from the upper and border South. Seven states had already left the Union and did not send anyone to the meeting.
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Why Did the Conference Happen?
After Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860, many people in the South worried. They thought the new government would try to end slavery everywhere. Many Southerners, especially in the Lower South, believed this, even though it wasn't true. The Republican Party only wanted to stop slavery from spreading into new western lands. Most Northerners, including Republicans, did not support John Brown's violent actions.
Because of these fears, many Southern states held special meetings. They wanted to decide if they should leave the Union. At the same time, members of Congress tried to find a way to agree on the issues about slavery. They hoped to avoid a war.
Ideas to Keep the Union Together
Many different ideas were suggested to prevent the country from splitting apart. People tried hard to find a compromise.
Crittenden's First Plan
In December 1860, Senator John J. Crittenden from Kentucky suggested six changes to the Constitution. He hoped these changes would solve all the big problems. One main idea was to extend the Missouri Compromise line all the way to the Pacific Ocean. This line would divide new territories into areas where slavery was allowed and where it was not. However, President-elect Lincoln did not agree with this idea. The plan was voted on and rejected by a committee. Later, the Senate also voted against it.
A New Crittenden Plan
A slightly different version of Crittenden's plan was also discussed. A group of 14 congressmen from different states worked on it. This group included Southern politicians who wanted to keep the Union together. But this new plan was also rejected by the House of Representatives.
Protecting Slavery with an Amendment
Another idea came from a House committee. They suggested a change to the Constitution that would protect slavery in places where it already existed. They also wanted to let New Mexico Territory join the Union as a slave state right away. This would have also extended the idea of the Missouri Compromise line.
Virginia's Call for Peace
The state of Virginia, which had not yet left the Union, made another effort. Former President John Tyler, who was from Virginia, suggested a special meeting. He wanted representatives from six free states and six slave states to come together. Virginia's governor agreed to host this meeting. This led to the Peace Conference.
The Peace Conference Meeting
The conference started on February 4, 1861, at the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C. By this time, seven states from the Deep South had already decided to leave the Union. They were forming their own government and did not attend the conference.
Delegates from 14 free states and 7 slave states attended. These states included Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Many important leaders were there, including former cabinet members, governors, and senators. Some delegates truly hoped to find a solution. Others came just to watch out for their state's interests. People sometimes jokingly called it the "Old Gentleman's Convention."
The conference lasted three weeks. A committee led by James Guthrie worked on a proposal. Their final idea was a seven-point change to the Constitution. It was very similar to Crittenden's original plan. The main point was to extend the Missouri Compromise line to the Pacific Ocean. This part passed by a close vote of the states.
Other parts of the proposed change included:
- Any new territories would need approval from both slave states and free states to be acquired.
- Congress could not pass laws affecting slavery where it already existed.
- States could not stop officials from catching and returning runaway slaves.
- The foreign slave trade would be permanently banned.
- Slave owners would get money if their runaway slaves were freed by mobs.
What Happened After the Conference?
The compromise suggested by the conference did not make most Republicans happy. It didn't limit the spread of slavery in new territories. It also didn't fully protect slavery in the territories, which was what many Southern Democrats wanted.
The conference's work was finished just a few days before Congress ended its session. The proposal was voted on in the Senate and rejected. It never even came to a vote in the House of Representatives.
Congress did pass a different, simpler change to the Constitution called the Corwin Amendment. This amendment simply protected slavery where it already existed. President Lincoln and most politicians already believed the Constitution did this.
With Congress ending and Lincoln becoming president, there were no more official ways to find a compromise. A final meeting of the slave states still in the Union was planned for June 1861. But this meeting never happened because of events at Fort Sumter, which marked the start of the Civil War.
