Which of these statements best describes the status of African Americans in California?
a. California was a free state, and thus, African Americans had equal status with whites.
b. Even though California was a free state, the federal Fugitive Slave Act determined that slaves brought into the state remained slaves in California.
c. Because California entered the Union as a slave state, African Americans were considered slaves.
d. Sometimes they were viewed as slaves, sometimes as free.
Question 2
What factors motivated the persistence of the idea of dividing California into a northern state and a southern territory?
a. The tax system emphasized land and possessions, not wealth, thus disadvantaging the ranchos of southern California.
b. The southern regions felt they were politically dominated by the north.
c. Some white newcomers from the southern slave-holding region saw an opportunity for the creation of a new slave state.
d. All of the above.