The Impact of the Mexican War on the Slavery Question

The consequences of the Mexican War had a significant impact on the slavery question in the United States. The war led to the acquisition of new territory, known as the Mexican Cession, which raised questions about whether these new states would allow slavery or be free-soil states. This intensified the slavery debate and threatened the delicate balance established by the Missouri Compromise.

Ultimately, this tension sparked the Compromise of 1850. This compromise was a series of measures aimed at preserving the Union while also addressing the slavery issue. It included provisions such as the admission of California as a free state, the organization of the rest of the Mexican Cession without restrictions on slavery, the abolition of the slave trade in Washington D.C., and the strengthening of the Fugitive Slave Law.

The Compromise of 1850 was an attempt to address the growing divide between the North and South over the issue of slavery. However, it ultimately proved to be only a temporary solution, as tensions continued to rise leading up to the Civil War.