The Compromise of 1850 ended the Missouri Compromise and settled disputes over how to handle the land acquired from the Mexican-American War. The introduction of popular sovereignty would create a pattern for newly settled territories and states between 1850 to 1860. The action of allowing the citizens to decide slave status also created violence and disagreement over the issue. The Fugitive Slave Act forced many runaway slaves and even free blacks into the hands of slave owners. This law ensured the protection of a slave owners property when surrounded by free states.