The event that threatened to destroy the longstanding balance of free and slave states in the United States Senate was the
A) passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act.
B) potential admission of Oregon as a free state.
C) attempt to acquire Cuba as a slave state.
D) proposed building of a southern transcontinental railroad.
E) discovery of gold in California and its bid for statehood.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The discovery of gold in California led to a rapid increase in its population, prompting its bid for statehood as a free state. This threatened the balance of power between free and slave states in the Senate, as it would upset the equal number of free and slave states.

The Event That Threatened to Destroy the Longstanding Balance of Free