Final answer:
The Compromise of 1850 included the controversial Fugitive Slave Law, which required runaway slaves to be returned to their owners in the South or face harsh fines. This provision worsened the sectional crisis in the United States.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Compromise of 1850 included a controversial provision called the Fugitive Slave Law. This law required runaway slaves to be returned to their owners in the South or face harsh fines and penalties.
The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 made it illegal for citizens to refuse to help capture fugitive slaves or interfere in their arrest. Those accused of being runaways had no right to a jury trial or testify in their own defense. Federal commissioners could send both runaway and free black individuals back to slavery based solely on the sworn statement of individuals claiming to be their owners.
Many northerners objected to the law and began obstructing its implementation as they believed it undermined the freedom of choice of their states. This controversial provision of the Compromise of 1850 worsened the sectional crisis in the United States at the time.