The Missouri Compromise, enacted in 1820, aimed to balance the interests of slave and free states as the United States expanded westward. The issue that slowed Arkansas's process of achieving statehood was the debate over whether it would be admitted as a slave state or a free state.
When Arkansas applied for statehood in 1836, it sought to enter the Union as a slave state. However, the Missouri Compromise had established a boundary (the 36°30' parallel) north of which slavery was prohibited in the Louisiana Purchase territory, with the exception of Missouri. Arkansas's location south of this line meant it had a better chance of being admitted as a slave state, but the ongoing tensions and debates over slavery continuously complicate the admission process.
Additionally, the political climate, including the growing sectional tensions between the North and the South, also contributed to delays, as lawmakers and politicians were increasingly divided over the issue of slavery. Ultimately, Arkansas was admitted to the Union as the 25th state on June 15, 1836, but the contentious debates surrounding slavery during this period made the process lengthy and contentious.