The period of compromise leading up to the Civil War, particularly the Compromise of 1850, demonstrates that the tensions between the North and the South over the issue of slavery were so intense that a peaceful and lasting resolution was difficult, if not impossible, to achieve. The Compromise of 1850 attempted to maintain a balance of power between the slave and free states, but it ultimately failed to satisfy either side. The Fugitive Slave Act, which was part of the compromise, outraged many Northerners and sparked resistance, while Southerners believed that the federal government was not doing enough to protect their interests.
Furthermore, the Supreme Court's decision in the Dred Scott case in 1857, which ruled that African Americans could not be considered citizens and that the federal government could not regulate slavery in the territories, further inflamed tensions between the North and South. The election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, who was opposed to the expansion of slavery, was seen by many Southerners as a direct threat to their way of life and led to the secession of several states and the outbreak of the Civil War.
While the period of compromise demonstrated that there were attempts to find a peaceful solution, the fact that these attempts ultimately failed and tensions continued to escalate suggests that the Civil War was perhaps inevitable. The underlying issue of slavery was so deeply ingrained in American society and politics that it ultimately could not be resolved without violence.