One main challenge in making Missouri a state was the issue of whether it would enter the Union as a slave state or a free state. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 was eventually reached to address this issue, allowing Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state while Maine entered as a free state, maintaining the balance of power between slave and free states in the Senate. This compromise helped to stave off potential conflict over the issue of slavery and paved the way for Missouri's admission as a state in 1821.
