The Compromise of 1850, Fugitive Slave Act, and Georgia Platform

In 1850, the balance of the slave and free states were equal. Suddenly, the territory of California wanted to be admitted as a free state! If California would be admitted, it could anger the south and cause a premature Civil War. To compensate, when California was admitted into the Union, there were two benefactors for the south. First, Texas gave up land and in return, got $10 million. Another one was the Fugitive Slave Act. The Fugitive Slave Act required citizens in the north to capture and return any escaped slaves they may come across. It also denied jury trials for captured slaves. This act basically started the abolitionist movement. The Georgia Platform was a meeting of the government leaders in Georgia. They accepted the Compromise of 1850 as long as the North complied with the Fugitive Slave Act. The compromise also stopped calls for secession in Georgia.