Missouri Compromise

Definition

The Missouri Compromise was a significant legislative agreement passed in 1820 that aimed to resolve the contentious issue of slavery's expansion into new territories. It admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, maintaining a balance between free and slave states in the Union. The compromise also established a geographic line at the southern border of Missouri, which dictated that slavery would be prohibited in future states north of this line.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The Missouri Compromise was proposed by Henry Clay, who sought to ease tensions between the North and South regarding slavery.
2. The compromise was seen as a temporary solution, as it only delayed the inevitable conflict over slavery in America.
3. The geographic line established by the Missouri Compromise was set at 36°30' latitude, with the intention of limiting slavery's expansion into new territories.
4. It marked the first major legislative attempt to address the issue of slavery in American politics and set a precedent for future compromises.
5. The Missouri Compromise was ultimately declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in the Dred Scott Decision, which intensified sectional tensions.

Review Questions

• How did the Missouri Compromise attempt to address the sectional conflict between free and slave states?
  • The Missouri Compromise sought to ease sectional conflict by admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, thereby maintaining a balance in the Senate. This legislative action aimed to quell rising tensions between the North and South by establishing clear geographic boundaries regarding the expansion of slavery. By drawing a line at 36°30' latitude, it provided a framework for future states entering the Union, attempting to create stability amid growing divisions over slavery.
• Evaluate the long-term impacts of the Missouri Compromise on American politics and its contribution to later conflicts over slavery.
  • While the Missouri Compromise temporarily resolved tensions between free and slave states, it ultimately set the stage for further conflicts regarding slavery's expansion. The establishment of a geographical boundary for slavery created an illusion of resolution but did not address the underlying issues. As new territories were acquired and settled, debates about their status reignited tensions, contributing to events like the Kansas-Nebraska Act and ultimately leading to the Civil War.
• Analyze how decisions made during the Missouri Compromise influenced subsequent legal rulings and legislation regarding slavery in America.
  • The decisions made during the Missouri Compromise had significant implications for later legal rulings and legislation concerning slavery. By creating a precedent for legislative compromise over territorial status, it shaped future actions like the Compromise of 1850. However, when challenged by landmark cases such as the Dred Scott Decision, which deemed it unconstitutional, these earlier agreements highlighted the increasing inability of legislation to resolve deep-seated societal divisions. This culmination of events ultimately revealed that legal frameworks alone could not contain or address the growing national conflict over slavery.

Related terms

Compromise of 1850: A series of laws aimed at resolving disputes over the status of slavery in new territories, which included admitting California as a free state and enacting 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 had no authority to prohibit slavery in federal territories, effectively nullifying the Missouri Compromise.

Kansas-Nebraska Act: A 1854 law that created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska and allowed settlers to determine through popular sovereignty whether they would allow slavery, leading to significant conflict.