Question

How did Henry Clay solve the problem of California becoming a state and name the four parts?

Answer 1

Henry Clay proposed the Compromise of 1850 to solve the issue of California becoming a state. This compromise included the admission of California as a free state, the establishment of popular sovereignty in New Mexico and Utah, the ban on slave trade in the capital, and stricter fugitive slave laws.

Step-by-step explanation:

Henry Clay, a senator from Kentucky, notably addressed the issue of California becoming a state through a series of resolutions that eventually formed the Compromise of 1850. The compromise consisted of four parts:

1. California, which was ready to enter the Union, was admitted as a free state.
2. Popular sovereignty was to determine the status of slavery in New Mexico and Utah.
3. The slave trade was banned in the nation's capital, but slavery was allowed to remain.
4. New fugitive slave laws penalized those who helped escaped enslaved individuals or refused to assist in their return.

The resolution process was contentious and took up to eight months to complete. Ultimately, Clay's compromises helped to temporarily alleviate the conflicts around slavery and its expansion.

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