Compromise of 1850 Essay -- essays research papers

In January of 1848, gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill, which is now in present-day California. From 1848-1849, 300,000 people rushed to California in search of gold. These gold-seekers, nicknamed â€Å"Forty-Niners†, came from all over the world. Most of the Forty-Niners came from the rest of America, but some even came from Europe, Australia, Latin America, and Asia. Because of the huge gold rush, roads, churches, schools, canals, cities, and towns were established in the California area. This new economic explosion influenced California to become a state in the Union. In late 1849, California applied for admission as a free state in the Union. The problem with this request was the geographical dividing line that congress created in the Missouri Compromise to separate the free states in the north, and the slave states in the south. The dividing line went right through the middle of California, making congress debate whether California should be a free state or a slave state. Congressmen argued over the topic, bringing Henry Clay out of retirement to help figure out a compromise. Clay...