Question
How did the Missouri Compromise affect the spread of slavery?
It declared that the popular vote in each state would decide the question of slavery.
It declared that Congress could make a recommendation for admitting a state.
It created a balance between slave states in the South and free states in the West.
It drew a line through western territories to determine future free and slave states.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The Missouri Compromise, enacted in 1820, primarily affected the spread of slavery by **drawing a line through western territories to determine future free and slave states**. This line, known as the 36°30' parallel, established that all territory north of this line (except Missouri) would be free, while territories to the south would be open to slavery.
Additionally, the compromise helped maintain a balance between slave and free states in Congress by admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, thus maintaining an equal number of each. While the Missouri Compromise addressed the immediate tensions regarding the spread of slavery into new territories, it was a temporary solution that foreshadowed future conflicts, ultimately leading to further sectional divisions.
So, the correct answer is: **It drew a line through western territories to determine future free and slave states.**
Additionally, the compromise helped maintain a balance between slave and free states in Congress by admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, thus maintaining an equal number of each. While the Missouri Compromise addressed the immediate tensions regarding the spread of slavery into new territories, it was a temporary solution that foreshadowed future conflicts, ultimately leading to further sectional divisions.
So, the correct answer is: **It drew a line through western territories to determine future free and slave states.**