Many Northerners objected to the addition of Missouri as a state primarily due to concerns about the expansion of slavery. When Missouri applied for statehood in 1819, it sought to enter the Union as a slave state. This raised fears among Northerners that the balance of power in Congress would shift in favor of slaveholding states, which could lead to the further expansion of slavery into new territories and states.
Northerners were concerned about the implications of admitting more slave states for several reasons:
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Political Power: The admission of Missouri as a slave state would increase the number of slave states in the Senate, potentially allowing pro-slavery interests to dominate federal legislation.
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Moral Opposition: Many Northerners were morally opposed to slavery and viewed its expansion as a threat to the values of freedom and equality. They believed that allowing Missouri to enter as a slave state would legitimize and support the institution of slavery.
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Expansion of Slavery: There was a fear that admitting Missouri would set a precedent for the extension of slavery into new territories, undermining the efforts to contain its spread.
These concerns fueled a national debate that ultimately contributed to the Compromise of 1820, which allowed Missouri to enter as a slave state while Maine entered as a free state, maintaining the balance of power between free and slave states. Additionally, the compromise established the 36°30′ parallel as a line dividing free and slave territories, which would have long-lasting effects on the political landscape of the United States.
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