Texas Surveyors Practice Exam

What significant legislation was part of the Compromise of 1850?

1. Admission of Texas as a slave state

2. Abolition of slavery in all US states

3. Admission of California as a free state

4. Establishment of a state tax system in Texas

The correct answer is: Admission of California as a free state

The Compromise of 1850 was a series of legislative measures aimed at addressing tensions between free and slave states in the United States. Among the most significant outcomes of this compromise was the admission of California as a free state. This decision was important because it balanced the interests of both the Northern and Southern states during a period of intense conflict over the expansion of slavery into newly acquired territories following the Mexican-American War. By admitting California as a free state, the compromise sought to appease the North while simultaneously incorporating provisions that addressed Southern concerns, such as stricter fugitive slave laws. This careful balancing act was a crucial attempt to maintain peace between the two factions and prevent the further escalation of sectional conflicts that would eventually lead to the Civil War. The other options, while related to the broader context of the slavery debate in the United States, do not correctly represent significant aspects of the Compromise of 1850. For example, Texas was already a slave state by that point, and the total abolition of slavery was not part of the compromise framework. Additionally, the establishment of a state tax system in Texas does not pertain specifically to the issues addressed in the Compromise of 1850. Thus, the recognition of California as a free state stands out