Monticello | Compromise Timeline

Sixteen landmark moments of American political compromise — from the Declaration of Independence and the Missouri Compromise through Reagan-O’Neill and Clinton-Gingrich — each linked to primary sources and video.

1776

Gilt-framed engraved Declaration of Independence with an eagle, portraits of Washington, Hancock, and Jefferson, and state seals. — The Declaration of Independence

1787

Close-up of the handwritten preamble of the U.S. Constitution, beginning "We the People," in ornate calligraphy on aged parchment. — The Constitution

1790

Side-by-side painted portraits of two men in dark coats and white cravats, Thomas Jefferson on the left and Alexander Hamilton on the right. — Capital and the Capital: The Jefferson-Hamilton Compromise

1800

Side-by-side painted portraits of Thomas Jefferson, left, and John Adams, right, both with white hair and dark coats. — The Revolution of 1800

1820

Brown roadside marker reading “Historic Missouri Compromise Line 1820, 36°30' N Latitude,” with an Oklahoma emblem. — The Missouri Compromise

1850

Engraving of Henry Clay addressing the U.S. Senate in 1850 as senators listen and spectators fill the gallery above. — The Compromise of 1850

1854

The Kansas-Nebraska Act abandons the Missouri Compromise

Prelude to the Civil War

1877

Thomas Nast cartoon of a White League member and a Klansman shaking hands over a shield showing a grieving Black family. — The Compromise of 1877: Republicans retain the White House in exchange for Democratic control of the South

1902

Political cartoon of Theodore Roosevelt as a schoolmaster scolding coal barons labeled Morgan, Baer, and Markle in a classroom. — The United Mine Strike: From confrontation to arbitration

1933

Side-by-side black-and-white portraits of two men in suits, both former U.S. presidents. — The Great Depression & The New Deal

1948

Oval painted portrait of a gray-haired man with round glasses, wearing a pinstriped suit, polka-dot tie, and pocket square. — The Vandenberg Resolution

1964

Black-and-white photograph of a group of men in suits smiling and flashing V-for-victory signs around a table. — The Civil Rights Act

1965

Color photograph of a man signing legislation at a desk while an older man sits beside him and officials look on. — MEDICARE/MEDICAID

1977

Senator Bob Dole seated at a hearing dais beside George McGovern, behind a nameplate reading “Sen. Dole.” — Food Stamps: Senators Bob Dole & George McGovern

1981-1988

Color photograph of two men in suits standing with their heads close together, one resting a hand on the other’s shoulder. — Reagan-O’Neill: Social Security Reform and Tax Reform

1995-1998

Color photograph of two men in dark suits standing close together, one leaning in to speak while the other listens. — Clinton-Gingrich: Welfare Reform & Tax Reform

The Art and Science of Compromise