In the 1800s, why did the US government want to keep the number of free states and slave states equal?
A
to prevent one region from becoming more economically unstable than another and to keep the US economy on an even keelB
to maintain a balance in Congress between the number of representatives who supported slavery compared to those who opposed itC
to make it less likely that enslaved workers would attempt to escape a slave state to seek freedom in a free stateD
to provide settlers in the territories the opportunity and the right to determine the issue of slavery for themselves