Question

what challenge did congress face in 1850?

• whether to acquire new western territories
• whether to sell territory from the mexican cession
• whether to allow slavery in new territories

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze the context of the 1850s U.S. Congress and the options:

1. Option 1 (Acquire new Western territories): While the U.S. expanded west, the 1850 Compromise focused on existing territories (like Utah, New Mexico) and slavery, not new acquisitions. Eliminate.
2. Option 2 (Sell territory from the Mexican Cession): The Mexican Cession (1848) was acquired, not sold, in the 1850s. Eliminate.
3. Option 3 (Allow slavery in new territories): The 1850 Compromise included the Fugitive Slave Act and addressed slavery in Utah/New Mexico (popular sovereignty), but the Wilmot Proviso (1846) tried to ban slavery in Mexican Cession, and the 1850 debate centered on slavery’s expansion. However, the key issue of the 1850 Compromise (and Congress’s action) was resolving sectional disputes over slavery in new territories (e.g., Utah, New Mexico) and California’s statehood. Among the options, this aligns best with the 1850s congressional focus on slavery’s status in newly acquired/organized territories.

Answer:

The correct option (assuming the third option is "whether to allow slavery in new territories"):
[Option Identifier]. whether to allow slavery in new territories

(Note: Adjust the identifier based on the original image’s numbering, e.g., if the third option is labeled "C", then "C. whether to allow slavery in new territories".)