POL SCI 40 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Wilmot Proviso, Missouri Compromise

• School: UCLA
• Department: Political Science
• Course: POL SCI 40
• Professor: Chris Tausanovitch

Document Summary

Before: african americans faced 2 major obstacles in securing rights. Constitution reserves important authority for the states. Constitution separates powers among 3 branches of gov: difficult for national majorities to control fed gov to strike against tyranny in the states, go(cid:448) (cid:272)o(cid:374)trolled (cid:271)(cid:455) (cid:862)(cid:373)e(cid:374)(cid:863), (cid:374)ot (cid:862)a(cid:374)gels. The(cid:455) (cid:449)o(cid:374)"t do thi(cid:374)gs (cid:449)ithout getti(cid:374)g a retur(cid:374)/ha(cid:448)e a perso(cid:374)al stake in outcome. Self-interest politics explain why it took so long to eradicate slavery, segregation, and discrimination. Politics of black civil rights (1787) benjamin franklin held abolition society meeting with constitutional. 15th amendment former slaves have right to vote slavery -> civil rights -> equal opportunity (like edu, employment, housing) = southern senators unable to block national policy. Wilmot proviso = bill designed to eliminate slavery in recently acquired land (1846) failure of wil(cid:373)ot"s proposal led (cid:373)a(cid:374)(cid:455) (cid:374)orther(cid:374) (cid:449)hites to re(cid:272)og(cid:374)ize the(cid:455) had a stake in containing slavery. Missouri compromise becoming bad for both south and north.