The fundamental question addressed in each of these congressional acts primarily revolves around the issue of slavery in relation to westward expansion. Here’s how each act relates to the options you provided:
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The Missouri Compromise (1820): The primary question was 3. Should slave labor be allowed in new states? This compromise was aimed at maintaining a balance between slave and free states as the U.S. expanded westward.
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The Compromise of 1850: This set of laws addressed multiple issues, but the central theme was also 3. Should slave labor be allowed in new states? It included measures that allowed for the possibility of slavery in territories acquired from Mexico and enacted a stricter Fugitive Slave Law.
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The Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854): This act explicitly focused on the question of whether new territories should allow slavery, thus relating to 3. Should slave labor be allowed in new states? It introduced the concept of "popular sovereignty," allowing the residents of Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether to allow slavery.
In summary, all three acts primarily address 3. Should slave labor be allowed in new states? in the context of westward expansion.