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Primary
National Humanities Center

National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: Reading Guide: John C. Calhoun

For Teachers 9th - 10th
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.
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Primary
National Humanities Center

National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: America in 1850: Daniel Webster: Speech to the u.s. Senate, March 7, 1850

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Links to Senator Daniel Webster's famous plea, amidst the turmoil of sectional conflict, for national unity and his support of the Compromise of 1850.
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Website
National Humanities Center

National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: The Triumph of Nationalism: House Dividing: America, 1815 1850

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A collection of forty-four primary resources including historical documents, literary texts, visual images, and maps, illuminated and contextualized by notes, thematic questions, and text-specific discussion questions for classroom...
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Primary
National Humanities Center

National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: America in 1850: John C. Calhoun

For Students 9th - 10th
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.
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Primary
National Humanities Center

National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: Toolbox: America in 1850: Daniel Webster

For Students 9th - 10th
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.
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Primary
National Humanities Center

National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: William Seward, Triumph of Nationalism: America, 1815 1850

For Students 9th - 10th
The National Humanities Center present a reading guide that links to a speech in the Senate by William Seward, one that expresses moral outrage over the compromises allowing the expansion of slavery.
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Primary
National Humanities Center

National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: America in 1850: Henry Clay

For Students 9th - 10th
Collection of primary resource material includes Henry Clay's, "A General Review of the Debate on the Compromise Bills," U.S. Senate, July 22, 1850. With questions for discussion.
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Unit Plan
National Humanities Center

National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: Harriet B. Stowe, Triumph of Nationalism: America, 1815 1850

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
A fictional depiction of the turmoil over the existence of slavery-and its human impact.
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Handout
University of Groningen

American History: Outlines: A Divided Nation

For Students 9th - 10th
This page from the American Revolution Project of the University of Groningen discusses how the 1850s were a time of conflicting ideas between North and South regarding the expansion of slavery. Scroll down to the third paragraph and...
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Primary
University of Groningen

American History: Documents: Excerpts From "The Fugitive Slave Act"

For Students 9th - 10th
This site titled, "From Revolution to Reconstruction," provides excerpts from the text of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, part of the Compromise of 1850.
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Website
Digital History

Digital History: The Crisis of 1850 [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
Read excerpts of the contentious debate about slavery in the territories as the U.S. Congress tried to hammer out legislation that could be passed by both houses and signed into law by the president. Find the provisions of the Compromise...
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Article
University of Groningen

American History: Essays: Politics and Sectionalism: Compromise of 1850

For Students 9th - 10th
Summarizes the events that took place to develop the Compromise of 1850.
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Website
University of Groningen

American History: Outlines: The Compromise of 1850

For Students 9th - 10th
Overview of the Compromise of 1850, it's provisions, and discussion of the regional differences that characterized U.S. sectional conflict during the 1800s.
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Website
Digital History

Digital History: The Compromise of 1850

For Students 9th - 10th
Before finding the final terms of the Compromise of 1850, read about the disputes and debate that accompanied the attempts to pass something that would address Northern and Southern concerns.
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Handout
Wikimedia

Wikipedia: Stephen A. Douglas

For Students 9th - 10th
he A lengthy biography of Stephen Douglas. Discusses his involvement in politics, in particular, his involvement with the slavery issue, his runs for presidency, his famous debates, and much more.
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Handout
Wikimedia

Wikipedia: Henry Clay

For Students 9th - 10th
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,...
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Handout
Wikimedia

Wikipedia: Whig Party (United States)

For Students 9th - 10th
Wikipedia offers detailed information on the United States Whig Party. Includes info on the creation, growth and end of the Whig Party.
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Handout
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media

Teaching History: Ask a Historian: Senatorial Division

For Students 9th - 10th
A discussion of how the political balance kept shifting as free and slave states were admitted to the Union prior to the Civil War.
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Website
Digital History

Digital History: The Impending Crisis: Conclusion

For Students 9th - 10th
A concise review of the ways the issue of slavery split the country from the Missouri Compromise to eventual secession of the southern states.
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Handout
Other

Unitarian Universalist Biographical Dictionary: Lydia Maria Child

For Students 9th - 10th
Read about Lydia Child's involvement with the abolition movement and her work in the 19th century women's suffrage movement.
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PPT
Tom Richey

Tom richey.net: The Mexican War and the Compromise of 1850 [Ppt]

For Students 9th - 10th
Presents key ideas for examining America's involvement in the Mexican War, westward expansion and the concept of Manifest Destiny, the Compromise of 1850, and the individuals involved in these issues.
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PPT
Tom Richey

Tom richey.net: The Crisis of the Union (1850 1860) [Ppt]

For Students 9th - 10th
Presents key ideas for examining the events and issues that led to the American Civil War.
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Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: The Compromise of 1850

For Students 5th - 8th
Find the various parts of the Compromise of 1850, proposed by Henry Clay, that extended slavery in some cases, prohibited in others, and added California as a free state. A clear chart shows what parts of the law were beneficial to the...
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Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: An Uneasy Peace

For Students 5th - 8th
See what turmoil resulted from the acquisition of new territory after the Mexican-American War. There was great disagreement between those who wanted to abolish slavery and those who wanted to be able to carry slavery into the new lands....