Answer:
In the mid-19th century, the admission of California as a free state was a major political issue in the United States. Southern states were opposed to California's admission as a free state for several reasons:
The balance of power in the Senate: The admission of California as a free state would have upset the balance of power in the Senate, where there were an equal number of free and slave states. Southern states feared that if California entered as a free state, it would tip the balance of power in favor of the free states, which could then pass legislation that would threaten slavery.
Economic interests: Southern states were heavily dependent on the labor of enslaved Africans to work their large plantations. They believed that the admission of California as a free state would set a precedent for other new states to also become free, thus reducing the number of slave states and potentially leading to the eventual abolition of slavery.
Sectional tensions: The issue of slavery was becoming increasingly divisive between the North and South, and the admission of California as a free state would have only heightened these tensions. Southern states feared that a strong anti-slavery sentiment in the North would lead to further restrictions on slavery, ultimately threatening their way of life.
Overall, the southern states were opposed to California's admission as a free state because they feared that it would weaken their political power, threaten their economic interests, and lead to the eventual abolition of slavery.