What significant gain did the South achieve with the Compromise of 1850?

The Compromise of 1850 was significant for several reasons, particularly for the South, which sought to protect its interests in the context of growing tensions over slavery. The most notable gain for the South from the Compromise was the implementation of a tougher new fugitive slave law.

This law was designed to ensure that escaped enslaved people who fled to free states would be returned to their enslavers. The legislation created severe penalties for those who aided runaway slaves or obstructed their capture, thus reinforcing the institution of slavery and providing Southern slaveholders with greater power to reclaim their property. This strengthened the South’s position regarding slavery and helped to further cement the legal framework supporting it during a time of increasing abolitionist sentiment in the North.

While the Compromise of 1850 also included provisions such as admitting California as a free state and allowing for popular sovereignty in other territories, the enhanced enforcement of the fugitive slave law was particularly significant for Southern interests, making option B the correct choice. The other choices do not reflect gains made by the South in the context of the Compromise; instead, they touch on outcomes that did not align with Southern goals at the time.