Missouri Compromise

Definition

The Missouri Compromise was a significant legislative agreement passed in 1820 that aimed to maintain the balance of power between slave and free states in the United States. It allowed Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state while Maine was admitted as a free state, thus preserving the Senate balance. This compromise also established a boundary line at latitude 36°30′, north of which slavery was prohibited in the remaining territories of the Louisiana Purchase.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The Missouri Compromise was primarily driven by the need to maintain a balance of power between slave states and free states in Congress.
2. The compromise was proposed by Henry Clay, who played a crucial role in brokering the deal.
3. It was seen as a temporary solution to the growing sectional conflict over slavery but ultimately highlighted the deep divisions within the nation.
4. The boundary line established by the Missouri Compromise would later be contested, leading to violent conflicts such as 'Bleeding Kansas.'
5. Although it helped avert immediate conflict, the Missouri Compromise did not resolve the underlying issues surrounding slavery, leading to further legislative battles and tensions in the years leading up to the Civil War.

Review Questions

• What were the main provisions of the Missouri Compromise, and how did they aim to address the issue of slavery in new states?
  • The Missouri Compromise allowed Missouri to enter as a slave state while Maine entered as a free state, maintaining an equal number of slave and free states in the Senate. It also established a boundary line at latitude 36°30′, north of which slavery was prohibited in other territories acquired from the Louisiana Purchase. This was an attempt to balance interests and reduce tensions between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions.
• Discuss how the Missouri Compromise set a precedent for future legislation regarding slavery and territorial expansion.
  • The Missouri Compromise set a crucial precedent by establishing a framework for addressing slavery in new territories, influencing future legislation like the Compromise of 1850 and the Kansas-Nebraska Act. It created a method for maintaining balance in Congress between free and slave states, but it also illustrated the limitations of compromise as it failed to provide a lasting solution. The tension that arose from this compromise eventually contributed to further sectional conflict.
• Evaluate the long-term implications of the Missouri Compromise on American politics and society leading up to the Civil War.
  • The long-term implications of the Missouri Compromise were significant as it exposed and intensified sectional divisions over slavery, ultimately setting the stage for increased conflict. While it temporarily eased tensions by balancing slave and free states, it failed to resolve fundamental disagreements about slavery's morality and legality. The subsequent breakdown of compromises and rise of movements like abolitionism highlighted how deeply entrenched these divisions were, culminating in violent confrontations and eventually leading to the Civil War.

Related terms

Compromise of 1850: A package of five bills passed in 1850 that aimed to defuse tensions between slave and free states, which included admitting California as a free state and implementing the Fugitive Slave Act.

Kansas-Nebraska Act: An 1854 law that allowed settlers in Kansas and Nebraska to decide whether to allow slavery in their territories through popular sovereignty, effectively repealing the Missouri Compromise.

Fugitive Slave Act: A pair of laws passed in 1793 and 1850 that required the return of runaway slaves to their owners, heightening tensions between the North and South.