Gag rule (United States)
Abolition Frowned Down (1839), depicting Waddy Thompson Jr. standing and John Quincy Adams prostrate | |
| Duration | 1836–1844 |
|---|---|
| Location | U. S. House of Representatives |
In United States history, the gag rule was a resolution in the United States House of Representatives that forbade legislators from raising, considering, or discussing slavery. First passed in 1836 and renewed in some form in every legislative session until its repeal in 1844, the gag rule played a key role in escalating sectional tensions over slavery and galvanizing support for its abolition.