Why did the issue of slavery expansion become especially divisive after the United States acquired new western lands?
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Correct answer: Because new territories raised the question of whether slavery would be allowed there
New western lands forced Americans to decide whether slavery would expand beyond the existing slave states. This question affected political power in Congress and deepened sectional tensions between North and South.
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More Slavery Expansion and Sectionalism questions
- What was the main purpose of the Missouri Compromise of 1820?
- Which line established by the Missouri Compromise limited slavery in much of the Louisiana Purchase territory?
- Why did many Northerners oppose the expansion of slavery into western territories?
- What did many Southern leaders argue about slavery in the territories?
- What was the Wilmot Proviso intended to do?
- Why did the Wilmot Proviso increase sectional tensions even though it failed to pass?