Section 1
Breakdown of Sectional Balance
Book
Version 23
By Boundless
By Boundless
Boundless U.S. History
U.S. History
by Boundless
5 concepts
The Fugitive Slave Act
The Fugitive Slave Act, passed in 1850, caused controversy and contributed to Northern fears of a 'slave power conspiracy'.
![Thumbnail](../../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/4588/square/whig-harmony.jpeg)
Wilmot Proviso
The Wilmot Proviso would have banned slavery in any territory acquired from the Mexican War.
![Thumbnail](../../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/7299/square/united-states-1849-1850.jpg)
The Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 left the question of slave versus free states to popular sovereignty.
![Thumbnail](../../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/7301/square/lavery-freesoilers-throats.jpeg)
The Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 mandated that popular sovereignty would determine the slave or free status in the region.
![Thumbnail](../../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/4591/square/ostend-doctrine.jpeg)
The Ostend Manifesto and Cuba
The 1854 Ostend Manifesto justified the right of the United States to annex Cuba and implicitly justified war if Spain refused to sell the island.