The Free-Slave Senate Balance: Beyond California

Joshism

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Apr 30, 2012
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Jupiter, FL
The Missouri Compromise brought in Maine and Missouri as the 23rd and 24th states, keeping a balance between Free States and Slave States. When California requested admission as the 31st state in 1849, it added the debate already raging from the Mexican War and Wilmot Proviso. California admitted as a Free State would upset the Free-Slave balance in the Senate. But why were these two seemingly isolated incidents in that regard? If so, why?

Before ME and MO, was the Free-Slave balance raised by anyone as a issue? When Louisiana was admitted in 1812 was there any effort at the time to deal with the free-slave status of the rest of the Louisiana Territory? Were the admissions of Indiana, Mississippi, and Illinois in consecutive Decembers (1816, 1817, and 1818) linked in any way at the time or was it pure coincidence?

Arkansas was admitted in June 1836. It was a slave territory, requested admission as a slave state, and was below 36-30. Michigan was admitted in Jan 1837 so presumably everyone at the time knew Arkansas would be balanced by Michigan's soon-to-be admission.

In 1845, Florida and Texas were both admitted. Both were clearly slave territories/nations and both were south of 36-30. Texas was a special can of worms and Florida's admission had been delayed for years (the state constitutional convention wrapped up in Jan 1839). I know the Second Seminole War delayed Florida statehood, but that was declared over in 1842. Why the additional years of delay - was it an issue of the Senate balance or something else?

At the end of 1845, the Slave States were now up +2 states in the Senate. Did any Free State congressman raise a fuss about this or was the balance only an issue when the South was to be outnumbered?

The Wilmot Proviso was introduced in August 1846. Iowa was admitted as a Free State in Dec 1846 and Wisconsin in May 1848, restoring the Free-Slave balance. Did the Free-Slave imbalance caused by FL and TX or the debate related to the Wilmot Proviso have any impact on the admission of Iowa and Wisconsin? Did any Southerners make statements proposing to delay the admission of either or both states until the issue of California and other captured Mexican territory was settled?

Did the South oppose the admission of Minnesota in 1858 or Oregon in 1859 because it would expand the imbalance in the Senate?

Was the admission of Kansas delayed solely on the debate over which state constitution and state government to accept (i.e. Free or Slave), or did the balance question come up?

Was the balance issue brought up as a point of concern by the Border States or Upper South between the secession of the Deep South (which tilted the balance significantly against the Slave States) and the secession of the Upper South?
 
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