Crittenden Compromise

The Crittenden Compromise (December 18, 1860) was an unsuccessful proposal by Kentucky Senator John J. Crittenden to resolve the U.S. secession crisis of 1860–1861 by addressing the concerns that led the states in the Lower South of the United States to contemplate secession. It consisted of a preamble, six proposed constitutional amendments, and four proposed Congressional resolutions. Both the House of Representatives and the Senate rejected it in 1861. It was widely perceived as making heavy concessions to the South, but perhaps the most significant aspect of it was Abraham Lincoln's immediate rejection and the South's reaction to his rejection that paved the way for further bloodshed in the American Civil War.

Related Topics:
December 18 - 1860 - Kentucky - Senator - John J. Crittenden - U.S. secession crisis - 1861 - United States - Secession - House of Representatives - Senate - American Civil War

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There were many unpopular features of the Compromise that led to its failure. It guaranteed the permanent existence of slavery in the slave states and addressed Southern demands in regard to fugitive slaves and slavery in the District of Columbia. But the heart of the Compromise was the permanent reestablishment of the Missouri Compromise line: slavery would be prohibited north of the 36° 30′ parallel and guaranteed south of it. The Compromise further included a clause that it could not be repealed or amended.

Related Topics:
District of Columbia - Missouri Compromise

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The Compromise was popular among Southern delegates in the Senate, and even Republican William Seward, the incoming Secretary of State, considered by many in the South to be a radical on slavery. But it was generally unacceptable to the Republicans (free soilers at this time) who believed that slavery must not be allowed to expand. This included Abraham Lincoln, who condemned the Compromise as one that did not deal with the future of slavery in America. He declared that were the Compromise accepted, it "would amount to a perpetual covenant of war against every people, tribe, and state owning a foot of land between here and Tierra del Fuego."

Related Topics:
Republican - William Seward - Free soilers - Abraham Lincoln

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The following is the full text of the compromise as introduced on December 18 and as printed in the Congressional Globe of that date. It was tabled on December 31 and never revisited. This should not be confused with the Crittenden-Johnson Resolution, adopted in July, 1861, which recognized the inevitability of the conflict and defended it as a war to preserve the union.

Related Topics:
December 18 - Congressional Globe - December 31 - Crittenden-Johnson Resolution - July - 1861

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