Final answer:
The Compromise of 1850 included a stringent fugitive slave law as part of a series of measures aimed at resolving sectional tensions between the North and South over slavery.
Step-by-step explanation:
Compromise of 1850
In the Compromise of 1850, a fugitive slave law was passed in the South. This was a series of five separate bills that aimed to resolve the tensions between Northern and Southern states over issues relating to slavery. The fugitive slave law, known as the Fugitive Slave Act, was particularly contentious as it required that citizens assist in the recovery of fugitive slaves and imposed penalties on those who helped runaways.
The Compromise also led to California being admitted as a free state, pleased those opposing slavery in the North. The organization of New Mexico and Utah territories presented the principle of popular sovereignty, allowing the inhabitants to decide on the slavery issue within these territories.
Additionally, the Compromise addressed the boundaries of Texas and New Mexico, settled debts Texas had from its time as an independent republic, and abolished the slave trade in Washington, D.C. Despite these efforts, the Compromise of 1850 further entrenched sectional divides and set the nation on a path toward further conflict.