Background

Missouri Compromise of 1820

Background

The Missouri Compromise of 1820 was a landmark piece of legislation passed by the United States Congress. It addressed the growing sectional tensions over the issue of slavery in the wake of the Louisiana Purchase.

Key Provisions

The compromise consisted of three main provisions:

Missouri would be admitted as a slave state.

Maine would be admitted as a free state.

Slavery would be prohibited north of the parallel 36° 30' (the southern boundary of Missouri).

Impact

The Missouri Compromise temporarily resolved the issue of slavery by balancing the number of slave and free states in the Union. However, it also highlighted the deep divisions between the North and South and ultimately failed to prevent the outbreak of the Civil War.