Question

The Compromise of 1850, which allowed California to enter the union as a free state, was primarily negotiated to settle disputes over

Answer 1

The Compromise of 1850 was primarily negotiated to settle disputes over the extension of slavery into the territories acquired during the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). Key issues included whether the new territories would permit slavery and the balance of power between free and slave states. The compromise included several provisions: California was admitted as a free state, the territories of New Mexico and Utah were organized with the principle of popular sovereignty (allowing settlers to decide on the legality of slavery), the Texas boundary was settled, a stricter Fugitive Slave Act was enacted, and the slave trade was abolished in Washington, D.C. These measures aimed to reduce sectional tensions between the North and South, although they ultimately only postponed the larger conflict over slavery.