Answer: the House of Representatives used the “gag rule” to prohibit discussions and debates of the anti-slavery petitions. In the late 1830s, Congress received more than 130,000 petitions from citizens demanding the abolition of slavery in Washington, D.C. and other federally- controlled territories.
Explanation: In the late 1830s, Congress received more than 130,000 petitions from citizens demanding the abolition of slavery in Washington, D.C. and other federally- controlled territories.