Have you ever been in a stadium setting where you have thousands of people singing, and it sounds pretty good? How is this possible? Most of these people aren't good, and yet the whole is much greater than the average of all its parts. There's something profound here. I just can't find it. Help.

(a continuation) #13. Millard Fillmore Always the political pragmatist, Millard Fillmore took office after the death of his predecessor, Zachary Taylor, and quickly ushered in the Compromise of 1850. While the goal of the act was to settle the slave controversy, the Fugitive Slave Act contained in the bill which provided the federal government with legal claim to send freed slaves back to their Southern masters, did nothing of the sort and only stoked flames on the fire of secession.