Political Parties - The Turbulent 1850s | 3

American History Tellers

Wondery

Society & Culture, Kids & Family, History, Education For Kids

4.7 • 18.3K Ratings

🗓️ 5 December 2018

⏱️ 47 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The United States won the The Mexican–American War in the 1840s, and with it vast new stretches of western land. But in the 1850s, the question of what to do with this land – and whether to allow slavery in the new territories or not – became a redning issue for politicians of all stripes.

While the Whig Party collapsed over the issue, Democrats split into Northern and Southern factions, and a new Republican Party tried to bind the Union with an appeal to old Jeffersonian values. But in the houses of Congress and across the nation, negotiations fail, compromise is abandoned; and the issue of slavery will overshadow all else, leading to Civil War.

Support this show by supporting our sponsors!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hey, prime members, you can listen to American History Tellers add free on Amazon music.
0:05.8	Download the app today.
0:10.0	Imagine it's April 17th, 1850.
0:21.5	You're an age to Democratic Missouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton.
0:25.6	You and another aid are by his side today in the Senate Chamber, as lawmakers attempt
0:29.6	to hammer out a contentious issue.
0:32.0	What to do with a new Western land, one from Mexico?
0:35.2	It's an issue that immediately brings up slavery.
0:39.3	Right now, the union has an even number of slave and free states, but permitting slavery
0:44.1	in any of the new territories could upset that delicate balance.
0:48.1	A committee has been formed to draft a compromise bill, but it's running into trouble.
0:53.1	Mr. Boss has proposed telling the committee that they are not allowed to consider the abolition
0:57.5	of slavery in the southern states.
1:00.3	It's a bizarre proposal.
1:01.8	Of course, the abolition of slavery where it already exists is not on the table.
1:06.4	The Western states are the issue.
1:08.5	Your fellow Aideleans over to you.
1:10.2	What do you think Benton is up to?
1:12.2	His proposal seems pointless.
1:14.6	I think the old man is playing politics.
1:17.0	The South has tied itself in a knot over this, convinced the North has just bent on abolition.
1:22.2	I think he's intentionally trying to antagonize them.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Wondery, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Wondery and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.