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.

On this date, during the 24th Congress (1835–1837), the U.S. House of Representatives instituted the “gag rule,” the first instance of what would become a traditional practice forbidding the House from …

Aug 9, 2025 · The “gag rule” in U.S. Congressional history refers to a series of resolutions passed by the House of Representatives that prohibited the discussion or consideration of petitions related to slavery.

On May 26, 1836, the House of Representatives adopted a “Gag Rule” stating that all petitions regarding slavery would be tabled without being read, referred, or printed. Former President John Quincy …

At first, only a small group of congressmen, led by Representative John Quincy Adams of Massachusetts, opposed the rule. Adams used a variety of parliamentary tactics to try to read …

Gag rule, in U.S. history, any of a series of congressional resolutions that tabled, without discussion, petitions regarding slavery; passed by the House of Representatives between 1836 and 1840 and …

This indirect method produced enough confusion to provide political cover for all members regardless of position. It was a classic example—a quarter century before the Civil War—of postponing the inevitable.

Nov 18, 2023 · The definition of the Gag Rule for APUSH is a legislative rule enacted by the House of Representatives to suppress discussions about slavery. The Gag Rule prevented antislavery …

A gag rule restricts members of a legislative body from discussing a specific issue, typically because it is deemed too controversial or divisive to address openly. In the United States, the most famous …

This paper investigates the “gag rule,” a parliamentary device that from 1836 to 1844 barred the House of Representatives from receiving petitions concerning the abolition of slavery.