Nick Nordberg
Period: 1

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The compromise of 1850 was a major cause of the civil war as it led to the south seceding from the north because they felt like they had no power within their own government. It started when the United States acquired a vast amount of land as a result of the war with Mexico. The question was whether or not they would allow slavery or declared free, since California had the gold rush in 1849 it was petitioning to congress to become a free state. Ever since the Missouri compromise the slave to free state ratio was balanced, so letting California in as a free state would make it unbalanced. On january 29, 1850 Henry Clay, a senator from kentucky proposed a compromise. According to the compromise the territories of Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona would be organized without mention of slavery, which later the inhabitants of the area agreed to when they applied for statehood. It also noted that the slave trade in Washington D.C would be abolished although slavery would still be allowed, and finally California was admitted as a free state and in order for that to satisfy slave-state politicians the fugitive slave act was passed. The fugitive slave act was one of the most controversial, it made it so people had to aid in the return of a runaway slave, also it denied a fugitive’s right to a jury trial. More often than not these fugitive’s cases were handled by special commissioners, these commissioners would be paid Five dollars if the alleged fugitive was set free and Ten dollars if the fugitive was sent home. For slaves attempting to build lives in the north this was the worst thing that could happen as many slaves left their homes and fled up to Canada. During the next decade an estimated 20,000 slaves moved up to canada. Harriet Jacobs, a fugitive living in New York said that the passing of the last was “the