Compromise of 1850 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Compromise of 1850 - Essay Example While that statement had many different interpretations placed upon it, the Compromise of 1850, in part, would seek to address the issue of slavery. As for its definition, "The Compromise of 1850 was a series of five bills that were intended to stave off sectional strife. Its goal was to deal with the spread of slavery to territories in order to keep northern and southern interests in balance," (Kelly, p.1). For the young nation, the hope would be to equalize the relations between both the northern region, as well as the south and enable both sides to come to the same respective unity. The discussion over slavery, would remain one of the more potentially contentious portions of the proposed plan itself. In this case, "Of all the bills that made up the Compromise of 1850, the Fugitive Slave Act was the most controversial. It required citizens to assist in the recovery of fugitive slaves. It denied a fugitive's right to a jury trial. (Cases would instead be handled by special commisioners -- commisioners who would be paid $5 if an alleged fugitive were released and $10 if he or she were sent away with the claimant.) The act called for changes in filing for a claim, making the process easier for slave owners.