National tensions over the future of slavery arose in 1850 as a result of the California gold rush, a border dispute between Texas and New Mexico, the rise of personal liberty lawspersonal liberty laws in Northern states, the increased importance of slavery in the Southern economy, and Northern legislators’ insistence on passing the Wilmot ProvisoWilmot Proviso. As attitudes became increasingly hostile, Senator Henry ClayClay, Henry introduced a set of policy proposals meant to achieve compromise on these issues. Events outside of Congress exacerbated the crises. Mississippi undermined the national government by helping invade CubaCuba. The Nashville ConventionNashville Convention consisted of delegates from nine Southern states considering secession. President Zachary TaylorTaylor, Zachary opposed Clay’s bills, insisting that these loosely related conflicts be addressed separately. Taylor opposed the OmnibusOmnibus strategy and urged Congress to focus on California’s statehood and resolving the Texas-New Mexico borderTexas-New Mexico border issue. After Taylor’s unexpected death, Clay negotiated with Texas’ senators on a vote trade in hopes of passing the Omnibus bill. James PearcePearce, James disapproved of the language agreed to by the Texans, and the Senate summarily stripped the Omnibus bill of its various provisions. Clay’s use of dimension manipulation and strategic votingstrategic voting failed, and the legitimacy crisislegitimacy crisis continued.