The Great Slavery Compromise
The history of the United States of America has involved many compromises and controversies.
One of the most harrowing controversies was slavery and its abolition. Slavery had been a part of
America’s history for many years and ultimately led to the division of the North and South. As history
books have re-iterated, the southern states felt that slavery was necessary while the northern states
opposed. Many representatives foresaw that America could not withstand while being divided. As
America expanded westward, the need to establish laws pertaining to slavery became more evident.
To combat the idea of slavery moving westward, several amendments were proposed but few
were practiced. August 8, 1846, the Wilmot Proviso was introduced. The purpose of this amendment
was to annex Texas as a slave state but any new territory that was gained following the Mexican War
could allow for slavery (Shi, p. 541). While the amendment did not go through, conversations began to
