Answer:
Explanation:
The Compromise of 1850 consisted of five separate bills that attempted to resolve the dispute over slavery in newly added territories of the United states, concurrent to the Mexican-American War (1846 - 1848). It admitted California as a free state, but allowed Utah and New Mexico to decide their position on slavery. Furthermore, it defined an improved Mexico-Texas border, making it easier for slave owners to recover runaways (Fugitive Slave Act).
The main points of the compromise were:
- Permitted slavery in Washington D.C. but abolished the slave trade. (Owning slaves were allowed, but not the selling, or purchasing in D.C.)
- California was added to the union as a "free state."
- Established New Mexico and Utah as territories that could decide their position on slavery through popular sovereignty.
- Defined new boundaries between Mexico and Texas, as well as awarding Texas $10 million in compensation for the Mexican-American War.
- Established the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, which required citizens to assist in apprehending and returning runaway slaved to their owners, and denied enslaved people a right to trial by jury.
Hope this helps! :)
