What did the Missouri Compromise of 1820 do?
The Missouri Compromise of 1820 was an agreement between the pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in the United States Congress. It allowed Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state, while Maine was admitted as a free state. It also prohibited slavery in the rest of the Louisiana Purchase territory north of the 36°30' parallel, except for Missouri.
The Missouri Compromise of 1820 was a legislative measure enacted by the United States Congress. It addressed the issue of slavery and its expansion into newly acquired territories. Here are the steps taken by the Missouri Compromise:
1. Missouri's admission as a slave state: The compromise allowed Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state, thereby maintaining the balance between free and slave states in Congress.
2. Maine as a free state: To balance Missouri's admission as a slave state, the compromise also admitted Maine as a free state, preserving the balance of power between the North and South.
3. Slavery prohibited in certain territories: The compromise established a boundary line, known as the 36°30' parallel, west of which slavery would be prohibited in the remaining portion of the Louisiana Purchase territory, except for Missouri.
4. Balance maintained: This compromise aimed to keep an equal number of free and slave states in the Senate and maintained political stability between the North and South.
5. Temporary solution: While providing a temporary resolution, the compromise did not ultimately resolve the issue of slavery in the United States, and tensions over this issue continued to escalate in the following decades.
The Missouri Compromise of 1820 was a piece of legislation that played a significant role in shaping the United States' stance on slavery. It sought to address the growing tensions between the Northern Free states and the Southern Slave states by establishing a balance between them.
To understand what the Missouri Compromise did, we first need to understand the context. During this period, the United States was expanding westward, and the question of whether new states would allow slavery was a contentious issue. The admission of Missouri as a state, which wanted to allow slavery, drew attention to this issue.
Here's what the Missouri Compromise did:
1. Missouri: Missouri was admitted as a slave state, allowing slavery to continue within its borders.
2. Maine: To maintain the balance in Congress between the free and slave states, the Compromise also admitted Maine as a free state.
3. Prohibition on Slavery: The Compromise drew a line across the Louisiana Purchase territory, stating that all new states located north of the 36°30′N latitude line, except for Missouri, would be free states, prohibiting slavery. This line became known as the "Missouri Compromise Line" or the "Mason-Dixon Line."
The idea behind the Missouri Compromise was to maintain a political equilibrium by ensuring an equal number of free and slave states. It was an attempt to preserve the delicate balance between North and South and prevent the eruption of conflicts over slavery.
However, it is important to note that the Missouri Compromise was a temporary compromise and did not resolve the underlying tension between the North and South over the issue of slavery. This tension eventually led to the American Civil War in 1861.