Analyze the sectional crisis 1850-1860 — Compromise of 1850 + Fugitive Slave Act + Uncle Tom's Cabin 1852 + Kansas-Nebraska 1854 + Bleeding Kansas + Dred Scott 1857 + Lincoln-Douglas 1858 + John Brown's Harpers Ferry October 1859 — as escalating conflict over slavery's expansion
Exercise
Difficulty 3
~10 min
hist.g8.f.ex_09
Essay
Prompt
Why was the Fugitive Slave Act 1850 the most consequential component of the Compromise of 1850? Cite 1 specific case as evidence.
How it's presented
mode
text
Answer criteria
type
rubric
criteria
- Names FSA as MAKING Northerners complicit in enforcing slavery
- Cites Anthony Burns 1854 OR similar specific case
- Names Sinha 2016 OR Masur 2021 OR Foner 1988 scholarly anchor
Hints
- Think about what the FSA REQUIRED of Northern citizens + officials.
- Anthony Burns 1854 Boston case is the canonical example.
Misconceptions to watch
- Treating FSA as Southern-only
- Missing Northern radicalization argument
Used in lessons