joan wahg give us a snapshot of the united states. >> the first year of the decade that brought on this secession crisis and led to the civil war. 1850 was the year that california came into the union. 1850 was also the year that a compromise was forged it was the last great compromise they didn't know it then. but we mow it now that -- saved the union and it was a compromise forged by north and south that involved a number of major changes to the way territories would come in to united states that voings passage of a new and strengthening fugitive slave act and compromises neither side north or south profree labor or slave labor was happy about. but it did preserve the union for the tay to decade to come. specifics included the introducing the idea of organizing territory that came into the united states from america can war under doctrine of popular sovereignty and that meant people of this or that territory when they were ready to come into the union they could decide for themselves if they would be a free or a slave state. the first state that would come in, first territory that wou

joan wahg give us a snapshot of the united states. >> the first year of the decade that brought on thissecession crisis and led to the civil war. 1850 was the year that california came into the union. 1850 was also t