Political Compromise In 1820-1861

Political compromise in the later years of the Ante-Bellum Period, specifically from 1820-1861, are crucial when speaking in terms of causes of the Civil War. Though the government and politics of such tried fiercly to reduce sectionalist tensions, in the end they were unsuccessful. Out of all the reasons- political and not- the four things within those years that strike most as failures of the government are the Missouri Compromise of 1820, the Wilmot Proviso of 1848, the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, and the Presidential Election of 1860. The Missouri Compromise is transparently the catalyst for all other issues that had risen. In 1820, Washington decided on “a bundle of three compromises” led by Henry Clay. The primary of the three
Abraham Lincoln, Stephen Douglass, John C. Breckinridge, and John Bell were the four candidates of the election. Lincoln had two years earlier beaten Douglass to the Senatorial seat, and now he tried to beat him again with the Presidential Election. The Democratic Party was split, so they decided on two cadidates which were Breckinridge and Douglass. The Constitutional Union chose Bell, and the Republicans had Lincoln. With his campaign revolving around westward expansion and abolition, Lincoln did not get very many supporters. The people of the country more so wanted Douglass. With only 40% of the entire country's votes Lincoln won the presidency. Douglass came in second with ~30%, Breckinridge ended third with ~20%, and Bell rounded out the four in las place with only about 13%. Lincoln, the sectional president, had not been elected for four days when South Carolina seceded. The blame rested on Buchanan's shoulders, for he was the president still until March 1861. This was ultimately the cause for disunion. During the election, or rather the time of campaigning, South Carolina had stated that if Lincoln was elected they would secede; and they went through with their word. Sectionalist tensions has risen to a peak and cracked under pressure. The Missouri Compromise was no longer available to be a scapegoat, and neither were the other political controversies. The Union's last leg to stand on was kicked out from under it. It would take several more months until the actual war started; however, by this point it is clearly inevitable. Political compromise was out of the question, and by then it was only a matter of time before the first shots were