Final answer:
California's application for statehood caused a sectional crisis due to the potential disruption of the balance of power between the North and the South.
Step-by-step explanation:
The subject of this question is History and it is at the High School level.
California's application for statehood caused a sectional crisis because it would upset the balance of power between the North and the South. If California were admitted as a free state, it would tip the scales in favor of the North, and if it were admitted as a slave state, it would favor the South. This issue was contentious because it had implications for the political and economic interests of the North and the South.
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