Taylor Administration - Domestic Issues
Domestic Issues
When Zachary Taylor assumed the presidency on March 5, 1849, the American Civil War (1861–65) was still 12 years away. However, at the time Taylor took office slavery was already the consuming issue. In the early 1820s the Missouri Compromise was established, whereby in the Northwest Territory (west of the Mississippi River) slavery was to be allowed south of the 36 degrees 30 minutes line while north of that line (except for Missouri) slavery was prohibited. Thus, as part of the compromise Maine was admitted to the Union as a free state and Missouri as a slave state, maintaining the balance between slave states and free states.
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