Missouri Compromise

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1820 United States federal legislation

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The Missouri Compromise was a significant piece of legislation in the history of the United States, enacted in 1820. It played a crucial role in the sectional conflict between the North and the South over the issue of slavery.

Background

The Missouri Compromise was introduced by Henry Clay in response to the request by the Missouri Territory to be admitted to the Union as a slave state. This request threatened to upset the balance between slave and free states in the Senate. At the time, there were 11 free states and 11 slave states.

Provisions

The Missouri Compromise had several key provisions:

• Missouri was admitted to the Union as a slave state.
• Maine was admitted as a free state, maintaining the balance between free and slave states.
• Slavery was prohibited in the remaining territories of the Louisiana Purchase north of the 36°30′ parallel, except for Missouri.

Impact

The Missouri Compromise temporarily eased tensions between the North and South. However, it was a temporary solution and did not address the underlying issues of slavery. The compromise was eventually repealed by the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, which introduced the concept of popular sovereignty.

Related Pages

• Henry Clay
• James Monroe
• Kansas-Nebraska Act
• Louisiana Purchase
• Popular sovereignty
• Slave state
• Free state