- Saturday, 23 February 1861, at 10:00
The Peace Conference of 1861
In February 1861, following the inauguration of Lincoln and the secession of seven states from the Union, a convention of 131 politicians from the remaining states met in Washington, D. C., at the Willard Hotel. They aimed to prevent civil war, and the secession of further states, by proposing an amendment to the Constitution that would protect the existence and practice of slavery, within certain parameters, by enshrining them in constitutional law. An amendment was eventually agreed and recommended to Congress, where it was not passed.
The Convention
The main session of the Conference.
To see the full record of a committee, click on the corresponding committee on the map below.
Session 13119: 1861-02-23 10:00:00
Membership (at session start):
William C. Alexander, Charles Allen, Samuel Ames, Josiah M. Anderson, Samuel G. Arnold, Franklin C. Backus, Roger S. Baldwin, Daniel M. Barringer, Daniel M. Bates, Robbins Battell, H. Henry Baxter, Joshua F. Bell, George S. Boutwell, Augustus W. Bradford, John W. Brockenbrough, Greene C. Bronson, George H. Browne, Aylett H. Buckner, William O. Butler, William Cannon, Robert L. Carruthers, Levi Chamberlain, Theophilus P. Chandler, Salmon P. Chase, Lucius E. Chittenden, James B. Clay, Chauncey F. Cleveland, John D. Coalter, Stephen Coburn, Burton C. Cook, Erastus Corning, John W. Crisfield, Francis B. Crowninshield, Alvin Cullom, Samuel H. Curtis, George Davis, John F. Dent, William E. Dodge, Alexander W. Doniphan, Alexander Duncan, Erastus W. H. Ellis, Thomas Ewing, William P. Fessenden, David Dudley Field, John M. Forbes, Stephen C. Foster, Asa Fowler, Thomas E. Franklin, Frederick T. Frelinghuysen, Ezra B. French, William T. Goldsborough, John Z. Goodrich, Francis Granger, James W. Grimes, William S. Groesbeck, James Guthrie, Pleasant A. Hackleman, Hiland Hall, James Harlan, Broughton D. Harris, Isaac R. Hawkins, William P. Hickerson, Reuben Hitchcock, William W. Hoppin, Valentine B. Horton, Harrison Hough, John W. Houston, Benjamin C. Howard, Amaziah B. James, Reverdy Johnson, Waldo P. Johnson, George W. Jones, John A. King, Stephen T. Logan, Augustus W. Loomis, Thomas Martin, Charles J. McCurdy, William McKennan, R. J. McKinney, William M. Meredith, Samuel Milligan, Charles S. Morehead, John M. Morehead, Lot M. Morrill, Freeman H. Morse, William Curtis Noyes, Charles S. Olden, Godlove S. Orth, John M. Palmer, John J. Perry, James Pollock, James T. Pratt, Rodman M. Price, Joseph F. Randolph, David S. Reid, Henry Ridgely, William C. Rives, George B. Rodney, J. Dixon Roman, Thomas Ruffin, James A. Seddon, Thomas C. Slaughter, Caleb B. Smith, James C. Smith, Daniel E. Somes, William H. Stephens, Robert F. Stockton, Thomas J. Stryker, George W. Summers, A. W. O. Totten, Amos S. Treat, Amos Tuck, Thomas J. Turner, John Tyler, Levi Underwood, William Vandever, Peter D. Vroom, James S. Wadsworth, Richard P. Waters, Thomas White, Charles A. Wickliffe, Benjamin Williamson, David Wilmot, C. P. Wolcott, John Wood, John E. Wool, F. K. Zollicoffer (127 total)
Representing 20 delegations:
Connecticut Delegation, Delaware Delegation, Illinois Delegation, Indiana Delegation, Iowa Delegation, Kentucky Delegation, Maine Delegation, Maryland Delegation, Massachusetts Delegation, Missouri Delegation, New Hampshire Delegation, New Jersey Delegation, New York Delegation, North Carolina Delegation, Ohio Delegation, Pennsylvania Delegation, Rhode Island Delegation, Tennessee Delegation, Vermont Delegation, Virginia Delegation
No imported or exported documents
Resources (1):
Resource Collections (0):
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Resource Items (1):
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Summary of events in this session:
Individuals:
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List of people joining the committee
List of people leaving the committee
List of people elected to a position
Documents:
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List of proposals created
List of proposals amended
List of proposals copied
List of proposals imported
List of proposals to be voted on
List of proposals debated
Decisions:
List of proposals adopted
List of proposals rejected
List of proposals dropped
List of proposals referred
List of postpone debate voted on
List of other proposals voted on
Procedure:
List of procedural motion
List of motions debated
Events (73)
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Person joining a committee
Person leaving a committee
Person elected to a position
A new document introduced
An amendment proposed
A document introduced from another committee
A revision of another document begun
Amendment imported from another committee
Proposal Debated
Drop a proposal
Refer a proposal
Adopt a proposal
Other vote (continue debate)
Reject a proposal
Postpone debate on a proposal
Procedural motion introduced
Procedural Motion Debated
Procedural motion with sub-decisions