Which territory's status was determined by popular sovereignty as per the Compromise of 1850?

The status of Utah and New Mexico was determined by popular sovereignty as a result of the Compromise of 1850, which was an attempt to ease tensions between free and slave states in the United States. Popular sovereignty allowed the settlers of these territories to vote on whether to permit slavery, thus putting the decision directly in the hands of the people who would be most affected by it.

This approach was significant because it represented a compromise between those who wanted to limit the spread of slavery and those who wanted to expand it into new territories. California, while it became a free state, did not have its status determined by popular sovereignty, as it was admitted to the Union at the same time as part of the compromise deal but without slavery allowed. Oregon was settled earlier and had already established a free status prior to the Compromise of 1850, and Texas, although a significant focus in the debates over slavery, was not subject to popular sovereignty in the same sense, as it was already a slave state upon becoming part of the United States. Thus, the determination of the status of Utah and New Mexico through popular sovereignty distinctly highlights the complexities and conflicts surrounding the issue of slavery in the territories during this period.