The Compromise of 1850
Grade 4 California history lesson on the Compromise of 1850 and California becoming the 31st state, from Pengi Social Studies Chapter 4. Students learn how Congress resolved tensions between slave and free states by admitting California as a free state while making concessions to Southern states through the Fugitive Slave Law.
Key Concepts
California asked to join the United States, but Congress was arguing over slavery. Southern states did not want another free state to upset the balance of power.
To solve this, Congress passed the Compromise of 1850 . Under this agreement, California was admitted as the 31st state (a free state). In exchange, stricter laws were passed to help slaveholders capture escaped slaves. On September 9, 1850, California officially became a state.
Common Questions
What was the Compromise of 1850?
The Compromise of 1850 was a set of laws that resolved a congressional standoff over slavery. California was admitted as a free state (the 31st state) while Southern states received the Fugitive Slave Law requiring Northerners to return escaped slaves.
Why did Southern states object to California joining the Union?
Southern states worried that admitting California as a free state would upset the balance of power in Congress between slave and free states, giving free states more votes to potentially abolish slavery.
When did California become a state?
California became the 31st state of the United States on September 9, 1850, following the Compromise of 1850. This was just two years after the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill sparked the Gold Rush.
What is the Fugitive Slave Law?
The Fugitive Slave Law was part of the Compromise of 1850 that required people in free states to help capture and return escaped slaves to their owners in slave states. It was a concession to Southern states for accepting California as a free state.