The Compromises & the Kansas-Nebraska Act

Question 1

What is a compromise?

Answer 1

An agreement. Each side usually has to give up something they want. Not everybody gets everything they want.

Question 2

Which territory applied to become a state in 1819?

Answer 2

Missouri - it wanted to become a slave state

Question 3

How many states were in the Union in 1819?

Answer 3

22 states - 11 allowing slavery and 11 outlawing (banning) it

Question 4

What was the problem with Missouri joining the Union as a slave state?

Answer 4

This would have removed the balance between free states and slave states. There would have been more slave states than free states in the Union.

Question 5

Who created the Missouri Compromise of 1820?

Answer 5

Henry Clay

Question 6

Which free state was created to balance the entry of Missouri as a free state?

Answer 6

Maine - it was formed from part of the state of Massachusetts

Question 7

How many states were in the Union after the Missouri Compromise of 1820?

Answer 7

24 states - 12 allowing slavery and 12 outlawing (banning) it. Missouri and Maine were the new states.

Question 8

What was the Missouri Compromise Line?

Answer 8

An imaginary line that ran across the United States. The line was drawn along the southern border of the state of Missouri. Any new state above the line had to be free. New states below the line could allow slavery.

Question 9

Using the image, what kind of state could Arkansas be when it joined the Union?

Answer 9

Arkansas could have joined as a slave state or a free state, as it was below the Missouri Compromise Line.

Question 10

Which future state was cut in half by the Missouri Compromise Line?

Answer 10

California. Different groups in the territory argued about whether slavery should be banned.

Question 11

Which new territories were created from the land won from Mexico in the 1846-1848 war?

Answer 11

New Mexico and Utah

Question 12

Who created the Compromise of 1850?

Answer 12

Henry Clay

Question 13

What were the conditions of the Compromise of 1850?

Answer 13

California joined the Union as a free state. New Mexico and Utah were allowed to vote on the issue of slavery. The Fugitive Slave Law was also introduced.

Question 14

New Mexico and Utah were allowed to vote on the issue of slavery. What is this called?

Answer 14

Popular sovereignty

Question 15

How did popular sovereignty in New Mexico and Utah break the Compromise of 1820?

Answer 15

New Mexico and Utah were both above the Missouri Compromise Line. Slavery was meant to be prohibited (banned) in these areas.

Question 16

The Fugitive Slave Law (1850) meant that escaped slaved had to be returned to their owners. Which people hunted down escaped slaves for money?

Answer 16

Bounty hunters

Question 17

Which new territories were created above the Missouri Compromise Line in 1854?

Answer 17

The territories of Kansas and Nebraska. They were created by the Kanasa-Nebraska Act (law).

Question 18

The people who lived in Kansas and Nebraska were allowed to vote on the issue of slavery. Why did this make many people from the north angry?

Answer 18

Kansas and Nebraska were both above the Missouri Compromise Line. Slavery was meant to be forbidden in these areas.

Question 19

Why was Kansas known as ‘bleeding Kansas’?

Answer 19

There were many conflicts between pro-slavery and anti-slavery groups in Kansas. These conflicts often became very violent and resulted in the deaths of many people.

Question 20

The first election was held in Kansas in 1855. 2000 people were allowed to vote, but there were over 6000 votes. Why is this?

Answer 20

Many people came across the border from Missouri to vote. They voted for a pro-slavery government so that slavery would be allowed in Kansas. Anti-slavery groups saw this vote as illegal.

Question 21

How did the new government in Kansas try to control anti-slavery groups?

Answer 21

The death penalty was imposed for anyone who helped a slave to escape. Anyone found with abolitionist (anti-slavery) books or newspapers could be sent to gaol.

Question 22

Which famous abolitionist announced that the time had come “to fight fire with fire”?

Answer 22

John Brown.

Brown and six others cracked open the skulls and cut off the hands of a group of pro-slavery males. Brown was never punished for his crime.

Question 23

What is shown here?

Answer 23

A gaol. Yes Yousif, it is spelled ‘gaol’ in Australian English.