Crittenden Compromise

The Crittenden Compromise or the Crittenden Amendment (English Crittenden Compromise or Crittenden Amendment) (18 December 1860) was an unsuccessful attempt by Senator John J. Crittenden of Kentucky, the Southern United States discourage them to leave the Union and thus prevent the impending Civil War.

The Crittenden Compromise should add six additional articles to the United States Constitution. These amendments would the Missouri Compromise, which allowed slavery south of 36 ° 30 ' line, expand so that he would also in the Pacific, so outside the former boundaries of the United States, apply. In addition, the compromise forbade the Congress to abolish slavery. Ultimately, contained a clause which stipulated that the amendments could not be repealed by another amendment.

Despite the approval of many delegates from the southern states of the Crittenden Compromise was never realized. As one of the major opponents of the compromise was Abraham Lincoln, who argued that the compromise was not a final solution to the slavery issue.

• History of the United States (1849-1865)
• 1860