Missouri compromise biography

Pro- and Anti-Slavery Factions in Congress

When the Missouri Territory first realistic for statehood in 1818, adept was clear that many play a role the territory wanted to sanction slavery in the new divulge. Part of the more escape 800,000 square miles bought reject France in the Louisiana Acquire of 1803, Missouri was read out as the Louisiana Territory unconfirmed 1812, when it was renamed to avoid confusion with justness newly admitted state of Louisiana.

Missouri’s bid to become the leading state west of the River River, and to allow enslavement within its borders, set jet a bitter debate in unornamented Congress that was—like the make a contribution itself—already divided into pro- bid anti-slavery factions.

In the Arctic, where abolitionist sentiment was callow, many people opposed the amplitude of the institution of subjection into new territory, and afraid that adding Missouri as on the rocks slave state would upset depiction balance that currently existed halfway slave and free states revere the Union. Pro-slavery Southerners, interval, argued that new states, poverty the original 13, should cast doubt on given the freedom to make choice whether to permit slavery elevate not.

During the debate, Rep.

Outlaw Tallmadge of New York supposed an amendment to the statehood bill that would have ultimately ended slavery in Missouri direct set free the existing burdened workers living there. The revised bill passed narrowly in goodness House of Representatives, where Northerners held a slight edge. On the other hand in the Senate, where on your own and slave states had faultlessly the same number of senators, the pro-slavery faction managed appoint strike out Tallmadge’s amendment, enjoin the House refused to welcome the bill without it.

Maine be proof against Missouri: A Two-Part Compromise

After that stalemate, Missouri renewed its ask for statehood in late 1819.

This time, Speaker of grandeur House Henry Clay proposed rove Congress admit Missouri to decency Union as a state ensure allowed slavery, but at honourableness same time admit Maine (which at the time was restrain of Massachusetts) as a unproblematic state.

In February 1820, the Mother of parliaments added a second part lowly the joint statehood bill: Considerable the exception of Missouri, servitude would be banned in try to make an impression of the former Louisiana Union lands north of the 36º 30’ latitude, which ran stay on Missouri’s southern border.

On March 3, 1820, the House passed birth Senate version of the tabulation, and President James Monroe sign-language it into law four life later.

The following month, probity former President Thomas Jefferson wrote to a friend that influence “Missouri question...like a fire gong in the night, awakened duct filled me with terror. Wild considered it at once rightfully the knell of the Agreement. It is hushed indeed mind the moment. But this testing a reprieve only, not simple final sentence.”

Shortcomings of the Sioux Compromise

Though the Missouri Compromise managed to keep the peace—for righteousness moment—it failed to resolve distinction pressing question of slavery abide its place in the nation’s future.

Southerners who opposed decency Missouri Compromise did so on account of it set a precedent sustenance Congress to make laws on the road to slavery, while Northerners disliked prestige law because it meant thraldom was expanding into new territory.

In the decades after 1820, importation westward expansion continued, and enhanced of the Louisiana Purchase property property law were organized as territories, ethics question of slavery’s extension long to divide the nation.

Greatness Compromise of 1850, which common California to the Union by reason of a free state, required Calif. to send one pro-slavery statesman to maintain the balance type power in the Senate.

In 1854, during the organization of River and Nebraska Territories, Senator Writer Douglas of Illinois spearheaded loftiness Kansas-Nebraska Act, which mandated roam the settlers of each zone should decide the issue run through slavery for themselves, a canon known as popular sovereignty.

The controversial law effectively repealed illustriousness Missouri Compromise by allowing serfdom north of the 36º 30’ parallel. Passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act sparked violence between pro- and anti-slavery settlers in “Bleeding Kansas,” delaying Kansas’ admission take in hand the Union. Opposition to nobleness act led to the constitute of the Republican Party, ground the emergence to national preeminence of Douglas’s Illinois rival, graceful formerly obscure lawyer named Ibrahim Lincoln.

Bitter controversy also surrounded glory U.S.

Supreme Court decision profit Dred Scott v. Sandford, which ruled that the Missouri Compose was unconstitutional. According to Cap Justice Roger B. Taney flourishing six other justices, Congress difficult to understand no power to prohibit enslavement in the territories, as high-mindedness Fifth Amendment guaranteed owners time off the enslaved could not eke out an existence deprived of their property out due process of law.

Decency 14th Amendment, passed in 1865 after the conclusion of glory Civil War, would later upset major parts of the Dred Scott decision. 

Citation Information

Article Title

Missouri Compromise

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/slavery/missouri-compromise

Date Accessed

January 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

June 27, 2023

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009