Throughout the period before the American Civil War, petitions and memorials relating to the slavery question appeared in many records of the United States Congress.
In the 1830s, the American Anti-Slavery Society wanted to propose to Congress that it make an attempt toward abolishing slavery.
James Hammond, a representative from South Carolina, first proposed the idea of imposing a gag on all anti-slavery petitions.
Future President James Polk, at that time a representative from Tennessee, tried to resolve this problem and put it in the hands of a special committee.
The committee's chairman, Henry Pinckney, dealt with the matter by refusing to consider any of them, and making anything that involved slavery automatically tabled.
The Whigs were opposed; John Quincy Adams led a group of congressmen who wanted to get rid of the rule.
of Kentucky proposed an amendment declaring that the old House rules prevailed, instead of getting rid of them[clarification needed] after a certain number of days.