in a paragraph, describe three compromises that were made over the practice of slavery during the expansion of the united states into western areas. identify the details in each act designed appeal to the south.

Answer 1

During the expansion of the United States into western territories, several significant compromises were made to address the contentious issue of slavery, each aimed at appeasing Southern interests. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 allowed Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state while simultaneously admitting Maine as a free state, thereby maintaining a balance of power between slave and free states. Additionally, it established the 36°30' parallel as the dividing line for future states, allowing southern territories to enter as slave states. The Compromise of 1850 sought to ease tensions further by permitting California to enter as a free state but included the Fugitive Slave Act, which mandated that runaway slaves be returned to their owners, thus satisfying Southern slaveholders. Finally, the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 introduced the concept of popular sovereignty, allowing the residents of Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether to allow slavery, which was particularly appealing to the South as it provided the possibility of expanding slavery into new territories. Each of these compromises reflects the South's influence in national politics and the ongoing struggle to maintain a balance between free and slave states amid westward expansion.