Manifest Destiny Practice Test

Secondary-source excerpt (1840s–1850s): The Compromise of 1850 attempted to manage the sectional fallout from new western lands by pairing measures that appealed to both North and South. Yet its provisions also revealed how territorial acquisition forced the federal government to confront slavery, enforcement, and the balance of power. Which component was part of the Compromise of 1850 and illustrates these tensions?

Secondary-source excerpt (1840s–1850s): The phrase “Manifest Destiny” captured a confidence that the United States could expand without fundamentally changing its political character. Yet the addition of vast territories strained institutions, heightened partisan conflict, and made compromise over slavery increasingly difficult, suggesting that expansion reshaped the nation in unpredictable ways.

Which outcome most directly supports the excerpt’s claim that expansion made compromise over slavery increasingly difficult?