Final answer:
The application for California statehood caused turmoil in Congress because c)it would upset the balance between the slave and free states in the Senate.
Step-by-step explanation:
The application for California statehood caused turmoil in Congress because it would upset the balance between the slave and free states in the Senate.
As California's population rose, the question of whether it would be a slave or free state became a source of contention. Southern states feared that California's admission as a free state would give more power to the free states in Congress
leading to a loss of control for the slave states. This imbalance in the Senate was a major concern for politicians.This issue eventually led to a series of measures known as the Compromise of 1850, which aimed to preserve the Union.
The Compromise of 1850 included provisions such as the admission of California as a free state and the Fugitive Slave Law. It temporarily resolved the issue, but tensions over slavery continued to escalate in the years leading up to the Civil War.
Learn more about California statehood