What exactly was the Missouri Compromise?

What exactly was the Missouri Compromise?

In an effort to preserve the balance of power in Congress between slave and free states, the Missouri Compromise was passed in 1820 admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state.

What was the Missouri Compromise and what did it do?

In 1820, amid growing sectional tensions over the issue of slavery, the U.S. Congress passed a law that admitted Missouri to the Union as a slave state and Maine as a free state, while banning slavery from the remaining Louisiana Purchase lands located north of the 36º 30′ parallel.

Why was the Missouri Compromise a big deal?

Missouri Compromise, (1820), in U.S. history, measure worked out between the North and the South and passed by the U.S. Congress that allowed for admission of Missouri as the 24th state (1821). It marked the beginning of the prolonged sectional conflict over the extension of slavery that led to the American Civil War.

Why was the Missouri Compromise a bad idea?

The Missouri Compromise was ineffective in dealing with the issue of slavery because it increased sectionalism between Northern and Southern states. Without an equal balance between slave states and free states, Southern states believed they would lose political power in Congress, especially the Senate.

What was the history of the Missouri Compromise?

Missouri Compromise. In the years leading up to the Missouri Compromise of 1820, tensions began to rise between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions within the U.S. Congress and across the country.

Who was the Speaker of the House during the Missouri Compromise?

The Missouri Compromise dictated that Maine would enter the Union as a free state, and Missouri would enter as a slave state. Henry Clay of Kentucky was Speaker of the House during the debates over the Missouri Compromise and was deeply engaged in moving the legislation forward.

Where was slavery banned in the Missouri Compromise?

In February 1820, the Senate added a second part to the joint statehood bill: With the exception of Missouri, slavery would be banned in all of the former Louisiana Purchase lands north of an imaginary line drawn at 36º 30’ latitude, which ran along Missouri’s southern border.

What did Jesse B Thomas add to the Missouri Compromise?

Senator Jesse B. Thomas of Illinois added a compromise proviso, excluding slavery from all remaining lands of the Louisiana Purchase north of the 36° 30′ parallel. The combined measures passed the Senate, only to be voted down in the House by those Northern representatives who held out for a free Missouri.