The Missouri compromise

Question

the compromise of 1850
The Kansas - Nebraska Act

What was the fundamental question addressed in each of these congressional acts?
answers:

Should the U.S. expand westward

Should states be allowed to nullify federal laws?

Should slave labor be allowed in new states?

Should states be able to secede from the Union

Answer 1

The fundamental question addressed in each of these congressional acts primarily centered around the issue of slavery in new territories and states:

1. Missouri Compromise (1820): The fundamental question was Should slave labor be allowed in new states? The compromise allowed Missouri to enter as a slave state and Maine as a free state while establishing a boundary for future states regarding slavery.

2. Compromise of 1850: The key issue addressed in this compromise was also Should slave labor be allowed in new states? It aimed to balance slave and free states as new territories were being formed, allowing California to enter as a free state and implementing popular sovereignty in the territories of Utah and New Mexico, which allowed the residents to decide on slavery.

3. Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854): This act specifically dealt with Should slave labor be allowed in new states? It established the territories of Kansas and Nebraska and allowed the settlers in those territories to determine if they would allow slavery through popular sovereignty, effectively repealing the Missouri Compromise.

In summary, while all these acts dealt with significant issues like westward expansion and state rights, the paramount concern that they all addressed was whether slave labor should be permitted in the new states and territories.