The Compromise of 1850 came about as a result of which state's entry into the Union?

The Compromise of 1850 was primarily driven by the admission of California as a free state following the Gold Rush. California's rapid population growth made it eligible for statehood, and its entry into the Union as a free state threatened to upset the delicate balance between free and slave states established earlier by the Missouri Compromise. This challenge sparked a significant national debate over the expansion of slavery into the territories and states being formed from the land acquired in the Mexican-American War.

To resolve the escalating tensions between the North and South, a series of legislative measures were proposed, resulting in the Compromise of 1850. This compromise included provisions such as admitting California as a free state, while also enacting a stricter Fugitive Slave Law and allowing the territories of New Mexico and Utah to decide the slavery issue for themselves through popular sovereignty. Thus, California's entry into the Union necessitated a compromise to address the associated sectional conflicts.