What was the Compromise of 1850? What did it do?
The Compromise of 1850 was a package of five separate bills passed by the United States Congress in an attempt to address the issue of slavery and its expansion into newly acquired territories. To understand what it did, we need to break it down into its key components:
1. California's Admission as a Free State: The compromise allowed California to join the Union as a free state, meaning that slavery would be prohibited in that territory. This upset the balance between free and slave states, as it shifted power towards the free states.
2. Texas Border and Debt: Texas, which was previously an independent republic, claimed a large portion of the present-day American Southwest. The compromise settled Texas' border disputes by establishing its boundaries and appeasing the state by assuming its substantial debt.
3. Popular Sovereignty: The compromise allowed the residents of the newly acquired territories of New Mexico and Utah to decide the issue of slavery through popular sovereignty. This meant that the people living in these territories would vote on whether to allow or prohibit slavery.
4. Slave Trade in Washington D.C.: The compromise abolished the slave trade, but not slavery itself, in the nation's capital, Washington D.C. Slavery still continued in the capital until it was abolished altogether with the passage of the 13th Amendment in 1865.
5. Fugitive Slave Act: As part of the compromise, a more stringent Fugitive Slave Act was enacted, which required citizens to assist in the capture and return of runaway slaves. This was highly controversial and provoked significant opposition from abolitionists.
Overall, the Compromise of 1850 attempted to maintain the delicate balance between free and slave states while addressing the issue of slavery in newly acquired territories. However, instead of resolving the issue, it ultimately intensified tensions between the North and the South, leading to further divisions that ultimately contributed to the outbreak of the American Civil War.
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