A Congressman's Lonely Crusade
John Quincy Adams, elected to Congress in 1830, was thrilled to be back in the game. He had been President a few years earlier, but old foe Andrew Jackson had defeated him for re-election. During his time in Congress, the issue of slavery became more and more contentious, with anti-slavery groups sending waves of petitions to Congress. Most of Congress backed President Jackson's southern views, and they prohibited discussing the petitions. Adams fought this "gag rule" for almost a decade, virtually alone, arguing on first amendment grounds that unpopular views must be heard, and he finally won repeal in 1844.
Many petitions called for ending slavery only in the District of Columbia and other federal areas, but did not call for abolishing slavery in the south.
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