What legislation included provisions for California's admission as a free state and the implementation of popular sovereignty in Utah and New Mexico?

The Compromise of 1850 was a significant piece of legislation that aimed to address the tensions between free and slave states following the Mexican-American War and the acquisition of new territories. This compromise included several key provisions: it admitted California as a free state, which was a major victory for anti-slavery advocates, and established the principle of popular sovereignty in the territories of Utah and New Mexico. Popular sovereignty allowed the settlers in those territories to determine whether they would permit slavery or not, reflecting an attempt to balance the interests of both pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions.

This legislation was crucial in temporarily easing sectional conflicts, although it ultimately foreshadowed further divisions that would lead to the Civil War. By allowing California's admission as a free state while also introducing popular sovereignty to Utah and New Mexico, the Compromise of 1850 sought to maintain a balance in Congress and respond to the demands of various factions in the nation at that time.