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.