PART A: Which of the following best summarizes a central idea of the text? A Slavery has always been a controversial and divided issue in the United States. B Southern states, which were the majority slave-holding states, held great influence in Congress and their legislation. C Runaway slaves were considered fugitives and could then be hunted down, arrested, and retrieved. D America allowed slaveholders to run wild all over the country and the free states in search of their missing slaves.