Question

The Compromise of 1850:

A) Abolished the slave trade in the District of Columbia.
B) Served as the basis for lasting sectional peace.
C) Prohibited slavery in the New Mexico Territory.
D) Was revised in 1851.

Answer 1

The Compromise of 1850 abolished the slave trade in the District of Columbia, admitted California as a free state, and introduced popular sovereignty in the New Mexico and Utah territories. It included a strict Fugitive Slave Act and did not achieve lasting peace, instead increasing sectional tensions. Option A is correct.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Compromise of 1850 was a complex set of five bills passed by the United States Congress, which aimed to resolve the contentious issue of slavery in the territories acquired after the Mexican-American War. One key element of the Compromise was that it abolished the slave trade in the District of Columbia, although it did not end slavery itself there. In an attempt to appease both pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions, the Compromise also included the Fugitive Slave Act, which was more stringent than previous laws and mandated citizens to assist in the capture of escaped slaves.

Furthermore, the Compromise admitted California as a free state and utilized the principle of popular sovereignty for the New Mexico and Utah territories, allowing them to decide on the issue of slavery themselves. Despite seeking to provide concessions to both North and South, the Compromise failed to create lasting sectional peace and instead may have exacerbated sectional tensions leading to the American Civil War.