The Roman attitude to trade was somewhat negative, at least from the higher classes. Land ownership and agriculture were highly regarded as a source of wealth and status but commerce and manufacturing were seen as a less noble pursuit for the well-off. However, those rich enough to invest often overcame their scruples and employed slaves, freedmen, and agents (negotiatores) to manage their business affairs and reap the often vast rewards of commercial activity.
Each of these events and actions dealt with the extension of slavery into the western territories. The Missouri Compromise (1820) banned slavery 36 degrees latitude. The Compromise of 1850 allowed for popular sovereignty (voters decide) in the Mexican Cession territory.
