Primary sourceSpeechDecember 2, 1851

Millard Fillmore's Second State of the Union Address

Millard Fillmore · December 2, 1851

Fillmore's December 1851 message to Congress defending the Compromise of 1850 and condemning filibustering expeditions against Cuba.

Fillmore's own defense of the Compromise of 1850 and his neutrality policy, delivered in his own voice as president.

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What it is

This is Millard Fillmore's second annual message to Congress, delivered on December 2, 1851. In it he discussed foreign policy, the enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act, and the preservation of the Union.

Why it matters

Fillmore used the speech to call the Compromise of 1850 a

This speech is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Millard Fillmore on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Handwritten manuscript on aged paper with cursive text and crossed-out words, showing the resolutions of the Compromise of 1850, including provisions on California statehood and slavery in the territories.

Document

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Compromise of 1850

Henry Clay · 29 January 1850 (resolutions); statutes enacted September 1850

Document

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Fugitive Slave Act of 1850

United States Congress · 1850

Sepia daguerreotype portrait in an ornate case showing an older man with white hair, dark jacket, white shirt and dark cravat, facing the viewer with a serious expression.

Photograph

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