Thomas J. Rusk and the Compromise of 1850

Book excerpt: "This project has as its purpose an exploration of the part played by the first United States Senator from Texas, Thomas J. Rusk, in securing for Texas and the nation the benefits received from the Compromise of 1850, including, most especially, the settlement of the Texas boundary dispute. The Compromise of 1850 had an enormous national significance; it temporarily calmed the sectional hostility between North and South over the issues of slavery and thus postponed the outbreak of a civil war for more than ten years. Rusk's actions and accomplishments are therefore discussed in relation to their impact on the national scene. The findings discussed herein will show that Rusk played a very prominent role in obtaining passage of the compromise legislation, a contribution almost completely overlooked in previous studies. Additionally, those findings indicate that Rusk induced from the United States a highly beneficial concession to the Texas territorial claims. Finally, the indications are clear that without a settlement of the Texas boundary dispute, a compromise of any sort was not likely to be achieved. The effort's focus is primarily limited to the events surrounding the transactions of the 1st Session of the 31st United States Congress (December, 1849 to September, 1850), especially those transpiring in the United States Senate."--Abstract, page vi