Description of lesson/activity
1. explain the concept of compromise.
2. find examples of compromise in the Constitution dealing with slavery.
3. evaluate the provisions of the Missouri Compromise, the Compromise of 1850, and the Kansas-Nebraska Act as they relate to the slavery issue.
4. define and apply the concept of popular sovereignty.
5. gather and organize information.
6. interpret data.
Description of lesson/activity:
1. The teacher should review the concept of "compromise" with students. (See Unit IV, Question/Problem 4. ) The issue of slavery necessitated Americans to use compromise since colonial times.
2. As a first activity, have students skim the Constitution for the words slave or slavery. These words are not found in the Constitution. Have students write down the words used in their place as well as the articles and sections in which the words are found. Use this opportunity to review the three-fifths compromise, the compromise regarding slave trade, and the fugitive slave provision.
3. Students should be made aware that pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces sought power through representation in the national government. As of 1820 there were eleven free states and eleven slave states. Ask students why this was important. Students should know that in the Constitution states have equal representation in the Senate. As long as the number of free and slave states were equal, either side could block legislation and protect its interests. In 1820 Missouri applied for statehood. It would become a slave state. This caused alarm among those who opposed slavery.
4. The teacher should distribute the accompanying "Compromise Chart." Have students use textbooks and other resources to find the provisions of the Missouri Compromise. As students do their research, encourage them to refer to maps which provide a visual depiction of the compromise. See the accompanying "Compromise Chart: Teacher Guide" for suggested answers. Once students have gathered information, discuss whether the provisions pleased pro-slavery (P), anti-slavery (A) forces, or both (B). Have students write their responses (P), (A), or (B) next to each provision on the chart.
5. Have students read the excerpt from the opening speech of Stephen Douglas on October 15, 1858, in a debate with Abraham Lincoln for the Illinois Senate seat (see the accompanying "Stephen Douglas Speech"). Have students answer the questions following the excerpt. Students will refer back to these answers throughout this unit.
6. With an understanding of popular sovereignty students should find and read the provisions of the Compromise of 1850. There are now fifteen free and fifteen slave states. Have students refer to maps of the Compromise of 1850. Once students have read the information gathered, they should decide whether the provisions were pro-slavery (P), anti-slavery (A), or acceptable to both (B). The teacher may want to divide the class into pro- and anti-slavery groups and debate whether the Compromise of 1850 is an acceptable solution to the issues of slavery and state's rights.
7. Last have students research provisions of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Ask students if this compromise was consistent with the two compromises on the chart. Students should find that the Kansas-Nebraska Act is inconsistent with the Missouri Compromise. It should be explained to students that the Kansas-Nebraska Act ended the Missouri Compromise.
8. As a concluding activity pose this question to students: Were the compromises effective in resolving the slavery issue? Students should realize that they merely postponed conflict between North and South.
Resource 1: Compromise Chart
Resource 2: Compromise Chart (Suggested Answers)
Resource 3: Stephen Douglas Speech