As Franklin Pierce became president, the question of slavery in the territories occupied his handling of his domestic policies. Read about the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the resulting turmoil in Kansas as abolitionists and...

A brief biography of the life of Vice President John C. Calhoun, along with photos of his monument and tomb. The Library of Congress also includes a sample of Calhoun's forty-two page speech against the Compromise of 1850.

Our Documents is home to one hundred milestone documents that influenced that course of American history and American democracy. Includes full-page scans of each document, transcriptions, background information on their significance, and...

Collection of primary resources on Nationalism, John C. Calhoun on the Clay Compromise Measures, and U.S. Senate, March 4, 1850. Thematically organized with notes and discussion questions.

Students develop and express claims through discussions and writing which compare and contrast how the early compromises over slavery, including their effectiveness and impact on different regions of the United States.

The National Humanities Center presents collections of primary resources compatible with the Common Core State Standards including Daniel Webster, Speech to the United States Senate, March 7, 1850.

The Compromise of 1850 did not solve all the slavery issues in the territories, which was not surprising. Read about the Kansas-Nebraska Act, put forth by Sen. Stephan Douglas, who proposed that the issue be decided by popular...

Providing an overview of the life of Daniel Website, this article focuses on major events and accomplishments, particularly those related to his political career.

From the basics about slavery to the attitudes that defended it and the efforts of those who wanted to see it abolished, in this lesson plan students learn about this dark part of America's past.

Read about these three titans of the Senate from 1812 until their deaths in the 1850s. Their last struggle against each other was the issue of slavery. See how Henry Clay, the great compromiser, offered one last compromise to try to keep...

An essay by the South Carolina Senator John C. Calhoun, outlining his belief in a "concurrent majority" and the power of individual majority groups to determine whether to follow a particular law that had been passed.

From the Library of Congress, find a discussion of Daniel Webster and the slavery debate and a summary of the Selma March with historical pictures. LOC also includes links for further study.

A list with short descriptions of the issues and events that impacted the expansion of the frontier, with slavery being the most significant issue.

Thomas Rusk's Oath of Citizenship, Report from San Jacinto, and Letter on the 1850 Boundary Compromise are found here. You will see a picture of the original document, and a typed translation.

This site details events surrounding the era known as "Bleeding Kansas" due to the conflict surrounding slavery in what is now Kansas.

The official site for the Henry Clay Estate presents a biography and a timeline of important events in Clay's life. Other topics of interest: Henry Clay the Statesman, the Attorney, the Farmer, Henry Clay and Abraham Lincoln. Click on...

The Dirksen Congressional Center provides abundant lesson plans on all aspects of the US Congress and the US Constitution. All lessons contain time frames, objectives, and links to material, and are built around Bloom's taxonomy.

Find everything you want to know about Millard Fillmore's presidency in this excellent site from the Miller Center.

This extensive learning module examines how the United States became more connected with the world as it pursued an expansionist foreign policy, became the destination for many new immigrants, and encouraged migration to the Pacific...

A map of the United States at the time of the passing of the Compromise of 1850 (September, 1850). This compromise was a series of bills attempting to resolve territorial and slavery issues raised by the Missouri Compromise (1820) and...

A map of the United States in 1860 showing the states and territory boundaries at the time, and is color-coded to show the slave States and distribution of slaves, the free states, and the territories, all open to slavery under the...

This biography on the life of Daniel Webster discusses the various accomplishments of his career in law, his tenure as Secretary of State, and his work in politics to preserve the nation.

An in-depth biography on American statesman and orator Henry Clay which lists his numerous life accomplishments as well as a discussion of his political life. Content includes information on his "American System," his views on slavery,...

A quick five question quiz over US history in the mid 1800s.