Final answer:
The goal of the Crittenden Compromise was to amend the U.S. Constitution to protect slavery, particularly below the 36°30' line, to prevent southern states from seceding. It was rejected by both northerners and southerners, contributing to the secession of the Confederate states and the Civil War.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Goal of the Crittenden Compromise
The goal of the Crittenden Compromise was to pass constitutional amendments protecting slavery in an effort to prevent the southern states from seceding from the Union. Specifically, the compromise aimed to amend the Constitution to protect slavery south of the 36°30' line, as established by the Missouri Compromise, while prohibiting it north of this line. The proposal included six constitutional amendments, with one restoring and extending the Missouri Compromise line to the Pacific Ocean and another that would prevent Congress from abolishing slavery where it already existed or interfering with the interstate slave trade.
However, this compromise faced significant opposition from both the northern and southern states. Abraham Lincoln, the president-elect at that time, and his Republican Party, which stood against the expansion of slavery, rejected the compromise, as it ran counter to their principles. The compromise also failed to gain traction in the South, as it limited the expansion of slavery. Ultimately, both the House of Representatives and the Senate rejected the Crittenden Compromise in 1861, and the rejection helped pave the way for the secession of the Confederate states, leading to the American Civil War.