Missouri Compromise

Definition

The Missouri Compromise was an agreement made in 1820 to resolve the conflict between free and slave states regarding the admission of Missouri as a state. It allowed Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state while Maine was admitted as a free state, maintaining a balance between the two. This compromise also established a line across the Louisiana Territory, north of which slavery was prohibited, setting the stage for future tensions over slavery in new territories.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The Missouri Compromise was proposed by Henry Clay as a way to maintain the balance between slave and free states in Congress.
2. It established the 36°30' parallel line as a boundary for slavery, with territories north of the line being free except for Missouri.
3. The compromise temporarily reduced sectional tensions but ultimately failed to resolve the underlying issues related to slavery in America.
4. The Missouri Compromise marked one of the early attempts to address the issue of slavery's expansion in newly acquired territories following the Louisiana Purchase.
5. It laid the groundwork for future conflicts over slavery, leading up to events like Bleeding Kansas and contributing to the onset of the Civil War.

Review Questions

• How did the Missouri Compromise attempt to balance power between slave and free states in Congress?
  • The Missouri Compromise sought to maintain an equal number of slave and free states in Congress by admitting Missouri as a slave state while allowing Maine to join as a free state. This move was crucial for ensuring that neither side could dominate legislative decisions regarding slavery. Additionally, it set a geographical boundary at the 36°30' parallel, which restricted slavery's expansion into new territories, further trying to keep peace between opposing interests.
• Discuss how the Missouri Compromise influenced subsequent legislation concerning slavery in the United States.
  • The Missouri Compromise established a precedent for managing the balance between free and slave states but also highlighted the deepening divisions over slavery. The principles set by this compromise were later challenged by events like the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which allowed settlers to decide on slavery through popular sovereignty, effectively undermining the compromise. This resulted in significant conflict in Kansas, known as Bleeding Kansas, demonstrating how unresolved tensions over slavery continued to escalate despite earlier compromises.
• Evaluate the long-term effects of the Missouri Compromise on American politics and society leading up to the Civil War.
  • The long-term effects of the Missouri Compromise were profound, as it only provided a temporary solution to an increasingly polarized nation. While it initially eased tensions between North and South, it ultimately failed to resolve fundamental disagreements about slavery. The compromise's repeal through subsequent legislation like the Kansas-Nebraska Act and its invalidation by the Dred Scott Decision revealed how entrenched both sides had become. This escalated regional tensions and played a significant role in polarizing American society, directly contributing to the outbreak of the Civil War.

Related terms

Compromise of 1850: A set of laws passed in 1850 that aimed to ease tensions between slave and free states, including California's admission as a free state and the implementation of a stricter Fugitive Slave Law.

Dred Scott Decision: An 1857 Supreme Court ruling that declared African Americans were not U.S. citizens and that Congress could not regulate slavery in the territories, effectively nullifying the Missouri Compromise.

Kansas-Nebraska Act: An 1854 law that allowed settlers in Kansas and Nebraska to decide on the legality of slavery within their borders, which effectively repealed the Missouri Compromise.