1. Why was there controversy about California's request to join the Union?
California wanted to be admitted as a slave state which would have upset the balance
of power between slave states and free states

California asked to be admitted as a free state but southern states wanted the
territory to be dividied into slave states

California had 80,000 people and other states were concerned that the state would be too powerful.

California was feared to be too powerful because of the gold discovered in the mining
region.

the answer is: the sesquicentennial of the american civil war is an occasion to consider the legacy of that great conflict. this legacy is our inheritance, and despite many indelible features, we continue to negotiate the resolution of that conflict. the civil war was fought over slavery, but not always on behalf of slaves

it was certainly a debatable decision, mainly because it was based primarily on political - and not on legal or social - views. since the congress at that time was led by members of the republican party, and the territory that the tribes wanted to turn into an exclusively indian state was predominantly democratic, the proposal (as expressed in the constitution) did not succeed, but the constitution itself proved to be of crucial importance in the creation of the state of oklahoma, and, most importantly, it guaranteed the involvement of representatives of the indian tribes in the government of the future joint state.  

as a member of congress, i would have voted to ratify the constitution, or at least to have it tabled. ignoring it was an interested and partial decision.  

a flatwork hope this

a widespread disease that killed many people

the split of the christian church

invasion from arab muslims