Compromise of 1850 -
The Compromise of 1850 was a series of legislative measures enacted to try and settle the issue of slavery in the territory acquired from Mexico during the Mexican-American War. The compromise was a response to growing tensions between the pro-slavery South and the anti-slavery North.
The key provisions of the Compromise of 1850 were:
1. California would be admitted as a free state, meaning that slavery would be banned in the territory.
2. The rest of the Mexican cession would be divided into the territories of New Mexico and Utah, and the decision of whether to allow or ban slavery would be left to the residents of those territories (popular sovereignty).
3. The slave trade, but not slavery itself, would be abolished in the District of Columbia.
4. A stronger Fugitive Slave Act would be enacted, requiring the return of escaped slaves to their owners, even in free states.
5. The Texas border dispute would be resolved, with Texas giving up some of its territory in exchange for financial compensation.
The Compromise of 1850 was seen as a temporary solution to the growing sectional tensions over slavery. While it temporarily eased tensions, it ultimately failed to resolve the issue and only delayed the inevitable conflict. It also played a role in further dividing the North and the South and contributing to the eventual outbreak of the American Civil War.