The Missouri Compromise was a significant legislative agreement passed in 1820 aimed at addressing the contentious issue of slavery in the United States as it expanded westward. The compromise emerged during a debate over Missouri's application for statehood, as it sought to enter the Union as a slave state, which would upset the balance between free and slave states.
Key provisions of the Missouri Compromise included:
- Missouri's Admission: Missouri was admitted to the Union as a slave state.
- Maine's Admission: To maintain the balance, Maine was admitted as a free state, keeping the ratio of free to slave states equal.
- Geographical Line: The compromise established a dividing line at latitude 36°30' (the southern boundary of Missouri) across the Louisiana Territory. Slavery was prohibited in territories north of this line (except for Missouri), while it was permitted in territories to the south.
The Missouri Compromise temporarily eased tensions between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions but ultimately highlighted the deepening divisions over the issue of slavery in the U.S. It was later deemed ineffective, as the debate over slavery intensified, leading to further conflicts and the eventual Civil War. The compromise was effectively repealed by the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854.
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