Why was there controversy about California's request to join the Union?a. California wanted to be admitted as a slave state which would have upset the balance of power between slave states and free states b. California asked to be admitted as a free state but southern states wanted the territory to be divided into slave states c. California had 80,000 people and other states were concerned that the state would be too powerful.d. California was feared to be too powerful because of the gold discovered in the mining region.​

History · Middle School · Mon Jan 18 2021

Answered on

 b. California asked to be admitted as a free state but southern states wanted the territory to be divided into slave states.

  • The controversy regarding California’s request to join the Union in 1850 revolved around the delicate balance of power between free and slave states. California's application to enter the Union as a free state threatened to upset this balance, which had been maintained at an equal number of free and slave states. This had significant implications for the political power dynamic within the United States Senate, where each state had equal representation through two senators regardless of population.