Question 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 to appeal to the South. (4 points)

Answer 1

During the expansion of the United States into western territories, several key compromises were made regarding the practice of slavery that sought to balance the interests of both Northern and Southern states. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 allowed Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state while Maine entered as a free state, maintaining the balance of power. Additionally, it established the 36°30′ line, above which slavery was prohibited, which appealed to the South by ensuring that their slaveholding interests were preserved in new territories south of this line. The Compromise of 1850 included the Fugitive Slave Act, which mandated that escaped slaves found in free states be returned to their owners, thereby enforcing Southern rights and satisfying Southern demands. Furthermore, the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 introduced the concept of popular sovereignty, allowing settlers in these territories to determine for themselves whether to allow slavery, a provision that appealed to the South by potentially expanding the territory available for slavery as it opened up the possibility of new slave states in the West.