4. which part of the fugitive slave act was the north most upset with?
a. california would enter the union as a free state
b. slaves escaping to the north needed to be returned to the south
c. texas and new mexico would solve their border disputes
d. the slave trade would be abolished in washington d.c
The part of the Fugitive Slave Act that the North was most upset with was b. slaves escaping to the north needed to be returned to the south. This was because it required citizens and law enforcement officials in the North to assist in capturing and returning escaped slaves to their owners in the South, even if they did not believe in slavery themselves. This resulted in a significant backlash and strengthened the abolitionist movement.
To determine which part of the Fugitive Slave Act the North was most upset with, we need to understand the context of the Act and the concerns of the Northern states during that time. The Fugitive Slave Act was a part of the Compromise of 1850, which was a series of legislative measures aimed at maintaining a balance between free and slave states.
The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was particularly controversial because it required the return of escaped slaves from the North to their owners in the South. This provision, known as "b. slaves escaping to the North needed to be returned to the South," was the aspect that outraged the North the most.
To further understand the reasons behind their anger, we need to consider the sentiment prevailing in the North at that time. Abolitionist movements were gaining momentum, and many Northerners were opposed to slavery on moral grounds. The Fugitive Slave Act, with its requirement to return escaped slaves, contradicted these sentiments and was seen as an infringement on personal liberty.
Additionally, the provision was seen as favoring the interests of slaveholders over the rights of escaped slaves. Many Northerners viewed the Act as a sign of Southern dominance and an attempt to spread slavery into free states.
Therefore, option b. slaves escaping to the North needed to be returned to the South, is the part of the Fugitive Slave Act that the North was most upset with.