The Compromise of 1850 - Front Page News!
This activity requires students to create the cover of a newspaper (with images) that features the four stipulations of the Compromise of 1850.
 

Use this Activity:

Objective - Students will demonstrate understanding of the four major components of the Compromise of 1850 by creating a historically accurate and visually engaging newspaper cover that explains each stipulation in a concise manner so that it fits in the small amount of space on the front cover. 

This objective aligns with both content knowledge and creative application, encouraging critical thinking and synthesis of historical information. 

Review - Review the major parts of the Compromise of 1850. Then, have students work independently.

  1. California was admitted as a free state, upsetting the balance between free and slave states in the Senate.

  2. The territories of New Mexico and Utah were organized with the question of slavery left to popular sovereignty, meaning settlers in those territories would vote on whether to allow slavery.

  3. The slave trade (but not slavery itself) was abolished in Washington, D.C., the nation's capital.

  4. A stricter Fugitive Slave Law was enacted, requiring citizens to assist in the return of runaway slaves and imposing penalties on those who helped them escape.

These measures were intended to ease tensions between the North and South, but they ultimately only delayed the conflict that would lead to the Civil War.
Morning Work - The activity takes most students about 45 minutes to complete, making it an ideal solution for morning work over two class periods.
Homework - This activity is a great way to assign homework in social studies or language arts.
Interactive Notebook - This is a great activity to display in interactive notebooks.