1. Disagreements over the expansion of slavery: The Missouri Compromise was a result of the ongoing disagreements between the Northern and Southern states over the expansion of slavery into new territories. The issue of slavery had been a divisive issue since the early days of the United States, and as new territories were being acquired and settled, the question of whether or not slavery would be allowed in these territories became a major point of contention.
2. Regional balance of power: Another cause of the Missouri Compromise was the desire to maintain a balance of power between the slaveholding and non-slaveholding states in the United States Senate. With the admission of Missouri as a slave state potentially upsetting this balance, lawmakers were motivated to find a compromise that would satisfy both sides and prevent any one region from gaining too much influence in the federal government.
2 causes of the missouri compromise
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