The Missouri Compromise, the Compromise of 1850, and many more agreements that attempted to create balance in the country only furthered tensions because they merely papered over the issue instead of addressing the root cause. As Western expansion grew our national borders through the Louisiana Purchase, the Mexican-American War, and the California gold rush, a large issue arose as to how these new territories would be divided into states with respect to slavery laws. Since the more populous North dominated the House of Representatives, Southern equality in the Senate was the only way to preserve slavery. Since each newly admitted State was automatically granted two Senate seats, it was critical to the South that new additions to the Union balance the introduction of free and slave States. The Wilmot Proviso was a major battle in Congress that would have banned slavery in territory gained from the Mexican-American War and altered the introduction of new states into the Union. With each step the United States took to acquire new land,
The Missouri Compromise, the Compromise of 1850, and many more agreements that attempted to create balance in the country only furthered tensions because they merely papered over the issue instead of addressing the root cause. As Western expansion grew our national borders through the Louisiana Purchase, the Mexican-American War, and the California gold rush, a large issue arose as to how these new territories would be divided into states with respect to slavery laws. Since the more populous North dominated the House of Representatives, Southern equality in the Senate was the only way to preserve slavery. Since each newly admitted State was automatically granted two Senate seats, it was critical to the South that new additions to the Union balance the introduction of free and slave States. The Wilmot Proviso was a major battle in Congress that would have banned slavery in territory gained from the Mexican-American War and altered the introduction of new states into the Union. With each step the United States took to acquire new land,