Question

Why was the compromise of 1850 important?

Answer 1

The Fugitive Slave Act was made stricter, so Northerns had to return slaves. California was also admitted as a free state. The slave trade was also abolished in Washington DC.

Answer 2

Under the Compromise, California was admitted to the Union as a free state; the slave trade was outlawed in Washington, D.C., a strict new Fugitive Slave Act compelled citizens of free states to assist in capturing enslaved people; and the new territories of Utah and New Mexico would permit white residents to decide whether to allow slavery.