The Missouri Compromise By Natalie Klaas

What did the territory of Missouri want to be? Missouri wanted to be a slave state The South agreed with this but the North didn’t at all This would make the balance of free and slave states uneven

What year was this act made into law? This act was made into law in 1820 In 1819, the Missouri territory applied to be admittied to the Union as a slave state Henry Clay was a congressman from Kentucky. He proposed admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state. Besides resolving the immediate issue of maintaining balance in the Senate, he further proposed drawing a line across the map to determine the slave issue for states that were carved out of this territory. Anything above 36°30' would automatically be free; anything below 36°30' could choose slavery.

How many free states and slave states were there? There were 11 free states and 11 slave states At the time, the United States contained twenty-two states, evenly divided between slave and free. Admission of Missouri as a slave state would upset that balance.

Why were the southerners so upset about this? The south replied on slavery to produce their crops The north didn’t want slavery The south saw this as a threat to their way of life by the northerners

Where was the act approved and denied at? The act was approved at the House of Representatives and denied at the Senate