Practice Quiz

CLEP US History I

Category - Politics

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The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 actually forwarded the abolitionist's cause-in spite of the fact that it required slaves to be returned to the South-because:
  1. The language was so unclear that it was unenforceable.
  2. It generated so much negative publicity when enforced.
  3. People had not realized that fugitive slaves had to be returned.
  4. Fugitive slaves marched in protest against it, attracting attention.
  5. California became a free state at the same time, overshadowing the South's benefits.
Explanation
Answer: B - The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 generated so much negative publicity when it was actually enforced that it significantly strengthened the abolitionist cause. It represented a concession to the South in the Compromise of 1850, in which California entered the Union as a free state. The South had been repeatedly frustrated by the North's refusal to return runaway slaves and the tacit support of the Underground Railroad. However, pushing the North on this point ultimately damaged the Southern cause.
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