Key Figures
Did Henry Clay support the compromise
Yes
What year was the Compromise passed?
1850
What was one of the main reasons California’s admission as a free state caused tensions leading to the Compromise of 1850?
California’s admission as a free state threatened the balance of power between free and slave states in the U.S. Senate.
What states were affected by Popular Sovereignty
UT & NM
Which senator from South Carolina was a vocal opponent of the Compromise of 1850, arguing that it did not go far enough to protect slavery?
John C. Calhoun
What two territories became organized and official after this compromise and were left to popular sovereignty?
Utah and New Mexico
How did the Compromise of 1850 impact the expansion of slavery into the western territories?
It allowed the territories of Utah and New Mexico to decide the issue of slavery through popular sovereignty potentially disrupting the 36°30' latitude that separated free and slave states.
What is secession? In this case
Withdrawal officially from membership of a union. In this case, threats of Southern withdrawal from the union of the states.
What did John C. Calhoun threaten to do, if the compromise did not give more protection towards slavery?
He warned that the South would secede if it was not given more protections for slavery, particularly in the territories won from Mexico, like New Mexico and Utah.
What state was admitted as a free state into the union?
California
Why do you think long term, the North would be angered by the Fugitive Slave Act?
They felt it forced them to participate in the institution of slavery, leading to stronger abolitionist movements and increased resistance in the North.
What was the Wilmot Proviso?
Bill proposed in 1846 that would mean the ban of slavery in new territories received by the US. Grew sectional tension between north and south regarding the expansion of slavery.
Who was the president in 1850 who supported the compromise and signed it into law?
Millard Fillmore
What did the Compromise of 1850 in terms of Washington, D.C.?
Abolished the slave trade in D.C, but slavery was still allowed to continue.
What was the main purpose of the Compromise of 1850?
To resolve the tensions between the north and south on the matter of slavery and to prevent southern secessions of the Union
Explain popular sovereignty
Popular sovereignty allowed the settlers in the new territories to decide by vote whether to allow slavery
Who was the president before Millard Fillmore and did not support the compromise?
What did the federal government pay $10 million to Texas for and why?
The US government paid Texas $10 million to settle a border dispute by having Texas surrender its claims to New Mexico (Which later became New Mexico, Utah)
What was the impact of the Compromise of 1850 on the abolition movement?
The Compromise of 1850 temporarily delayed the outbreak of civil war, but it also heightened tensions over slavery, particularly due to Fugitive Slave Act, which angered many abolitionists.
What were the 2 important parts to the Fugitive Slave Act?
1. Required that escaped slaves be returned to their owners, even if they were found in free states.
2. Federal Government would aid in finding the escaped slaves.