The fundamental question addressed in each of these congressional acts relates primarily to the issue of slavery in newly acquired or organized territories and states. Here's a brief overview of each act and the central question it addressed:
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The Missouri Compromise (1820): The central question was Should slave labor be allowed in new states? This compromise attempted to balance the number of slave and free states as Missouri entered the Union as a slave state, while Maine entered as a free state, and it established a line (36°30' latitude) to determine the status of slavery in future territories.
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The Compromise of 1850: This compromise addressed multiple issues but fundamentally revolved around Should slave labor be allowed in new states? It included provisions for admitting California as a free state, the creation of Utah and New Mexico territories with the question of slavery to be decided by popular sovereignty, and the strengthening of the Fugitive Slave Act.
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The Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854): This act further contended with the question of Should slave labor be allowed in new states? It created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, allowing the settlers in those territories to determine the legality of slavery through popular sovereignty, leading to significant conflict and violence known as "Bleeding Kansas."
In summary, the consistent underlying issue in these congressional acts is whether new states would allow slave labor.
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