To what extent did the North and South regard the compromise of 1850 as harmful to their interests?

The question requires that candidates consider the merits or otherwise of the suggestion that the North, the South or both regarded the Compromise of 1850 as harmful to their interests. While some content may predate the timeframe to provide context, it must be clearly linked to the issue raised in the question. Candidates may offer equal coverage of the North and the South, or they may prioritize their assessment of either. However, both aspects will be a feature of the response. Key elements of the Compromise of 1850 included the passage of a more stringent fugitive slave act, the addition of California as a “free” state, the application of popular sovereignty in two territories and the abolition of the slave trade in Washington DC. Candidates may emphasize the emotional impact of the Fugitive Slave Act on both North and South, the political effect of increased congressional representation for the North, the differing positions on the impact of popular sovereignty in the territories and the extreme tension between the two regions over the slave trade in the nation’s capital. In general, the South regarded the compromise as possessing more potential for harm to their interests, but Northern abolitionists and Free Soil elements were also highly critical of the compromise.

The question required candidates to consider the merits or otherwise of the suggestion that the North, the South or both regarded the Compromise of 1850 as harmful to their interests. Selection of the topic was, perhaps, not as frequent as anticipated. Responses usually demonstrated knowledge of most elements of the compromise along with generally sound analysis as to how the elements were received by the North and South. There was a tendency to allow background content to dominate the discussion. There were a significant number of candidates that confused the Compromise of 1850 with the Compromise of 1820 or the terms of the Kansas-Nebraska Act.