Dbq Missouri Compromise

In 1954, the Kansas- Nebraska Act was passed. Northern Democrat Steven Douglass in an attempt to build a transcontinental railroad petitioned the Kansas-Nebraska act on the bases that the Compromise of 1850 validated popular sovereignty. In Douglass’s opinion the Compromise of 1850 made the Missouri Compromise of 1820 void. There was opposition from Northern politicians who believed that the Missouri Compromise of 1820 was a sacred pact made by previous lawmakers during the union’s long history of compromises. For Southern politicians the Kansas- Nebraska Act would help the extension of slavery which most of the Northerners were against. Ignoring the wishes of the Northerners and pushing the Democratic agenda which wanted not only the

In 1819, two more states wishing to join the union, were Missouri and Maine. Missouri wanted to join the union in the in the north, but as a slave state. this would make the balance of power in congress unequal. Many northerners opposed this idea. Northerners proposed that Missouri be a slave state and that no more slaves were to be brought in, and all slave children would be free at age 25. Eventually Missouri would be a free state. Southerners were opposed to this idea. Congress debated for months. This brought about the Missouri Compromise of 1820, when Henry Clay proposed that Maine enter the union as a free state. He also proposed prohibiting slavery above the 36’30’ latitude, which is the southern boundary of Missouri. Since plantations would not be able to survive further north of this line, the South agreed.

territory. As northern settlers poured into Kansas, however, in 1861 it qualified for admission to the union as a state where slavery was illegal. So many Northerners were distraught over the Kansas-Nebraska Act that they founded a new, purely northern, purely anti-slavery political party. the 1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, opened new lands, repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820, and allowed settlers in those territories to determine if they would allow slavery within their boundaries. The initial purpose of the Kansas-Nebraska Act was to create opportunities for a Transcontinental Railroad. It was not problematic until popular jurisdiction was written into the proposal. The act was designed by Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois. The act established that settlers could vote to decide whether to allow slavery, in the name of "popular sovereignty" or rule of the people. Douglas hoped it would ease relations in both North and South, because the South could expand slavery to new territories but the North still had the right to abolish slavery in their states. He was wrong; opponents denounced the law as a privilege to the slave power of the South. The new Republican Party, which was created in opposition to the act, aimed to stop the expansion of slavery, and soon emerged as the dominant force throughout the

The Missouri Compromise was only important for preserving the Union for that small period of time. This is evident through the fact that the Compromise of 1850, Fugitive Slave Law, and other debates occurred even after the Missouri Compromise. Many Americans agreed that slavery would be the issue that led the United States to a civil war and the Missouri Compromise was one of many events that delayed the war.

During the 19th century the South and the North began to debate within each other as slavery was starting to become a national issue. The South was unified following the institution of slavery as it was vital to their economic success and the North was anti-slavery. The Civil War was inevitable becoming the climax to a growing tension between both the South and North in the act of failed Compromises and differences. The Missouri Compromise, The Act of 1850, and The Kansas-Nebraska Act hold large responsibility as causes for the Civil War considering none completely stopped the war and were merely postponed it.

In the early 1800s, it appeared that these political battles could be decided with congressional compromises. Document A, also known as the Missouri Compromise, was created in 1820 to address the new state of Missouri. Whether or not Missouri was a slave state or free would be a watershed event, as from the onset it appeared one side would have more power in Congress. However, Henry Clay, one of the most famous congressmen of the time, was able to split up Massachusetts in order to create a new free state, Maine. With Maine being free, Missouri could join as a slave state, and both sides were appeased. However, no side was ever truly appeased, with Kansas-Nebraska act eventually repealing the Missouri compromise in 1854, only 34 years later. It is true that many more states were added into the union in those 34 years, such as Texas, California, and New Mexico. However, the Missouri compromise itself was not thought out for the long term, as it designated a single latitude line to divide the slave and free

In 1820, a politician by the name of Henry Clay decided to help work out a compromise that would keep the balance the North and South. Clay suggested that Congress should admit Maine as a free state and Missouri as a slave state. The official proposal was passed in March of 1820 and prohibited slavery from any territories in the Louisiana Purchase that was North of 36°30’ latitude. (The American Journey Page 320,437, and 438) Almost thirty years later, a dispute over slavery broke out in Congress because a bill was introduced by Illinois senator Stephen Douglas. Douglas originally wanted to run for president but in order to do that he needed the support of the Southern Democrats. With Douglas trying to win over both northerners and southerners, the Kansas-Nebraska act proclaimed that Kansas and Nebraska territories would have the choice to be a free or slave state. Douglas was basically saying that “they” being Congress would repeal the Missouri Compromise of 1820 and would rely on “popular sovereignty” which is letting the people decide. He figured that because Kansas and Nebraska becoming slave

The controversial issue raised at the Congress was whether these new states would be free from slavery or not. Under the Missouri compromise, states above 36 ° 30 latitudes would be free, but the Southerners would not accept this. Thinking strategically and do not want to lose the support of the Southerners in future elections, the Democrats decided to apply the principle of popular sovereignty repealing the Missouri Compromise. This act was known as the Kansas-Nebraska Act 1854. Northerners considered Douglas's decision as a "gross violation of a sacred pledge," and made many pros and cons slavery migrated to the added territory to vote for the establishment or not of slavery.

The 1820s viewed a huge alteration in both the identities of the major American party-political revelries together in a way American citizen voted for their leaders. The Missouri Compromise brings Missouri and Maine into the union and slavery to the American West. Maine was an enclave of Massachusetts until 1820, when because of the growing population and a political agreement regarding slavery, it became the 23rd state on March 15 under the Missouri Compromise. Prior to its joining the Union, Missouri was part of the Missouri Territory. It was admitted as the 24th state of the Union in August 10, 1821.

At first, the Compromise seemed to settle the issue; however, the alarming issue arose again when Mexico ceded new territory to the Union. Differences between the views of the North and South led to a deeper divide that eventually led to the Civil War. The Missouri controversy, an extremely heated crisis between the North and South over slavery in the Louisiana territory, reached to new heights almost as great as the time of secession in 1860. This huge debate showed just how slavery divided the nation (Forbes). Many people knew the consequences of banning slavery, so they kept the Missouri Compromise in place.

This required territories being created, which led to argument regarding “whether the territories would be a slave or free area”(Kansas-Nebraska Act). Senator Stephen Douglas initially intended to organize the Louisiana Purchase land as the Nebraska Territory. However, according to the Missouri Compromise, the area would consist of free states. This would turn the Southern votes against the bill, which then wouldn’t pass Congress. Therefore, Douglas wrote a new bill, known as the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

In 1854, the argument over slavery appeared in Congress again when Stephen A. Douglas introduced the Compromise of 1850. Kansas and Nebraska would become free states because of where they are located, north of 36’30’N latitude. If they both became free states, the balance would be broken. Douglas knew southerners would object to this so he let the people in each territory vote on it to be a free or slave state so he introduced the Kansas-Nebraska Act. This is called popular sovereignty when the people get to decide on an issue.

Henry Clay, a congressman, persuaded Congress to agree to a Compromise. Under this compromise, Missouri would be allowed to join as a slave state and Maine would be able to join as a free state. The Senate further agreed that the southern boundary of Missouri – latitude 36° 30 – extended west, would become the permanent line dividing slave from free states, guaranteeing the North a large area where slavery was banned. And asking why is this compromise good, it would keep balance between the free states and the slave states. It also kept peace for the following thirty years. And after, six new states joined the Union and helped avoid conflict until 1848.

The Missouri Compromise was passed in 1820. This compromise essentially settled on whether or not Missouri was considered a slave state or a free state. It was to settle the furious debates in Congress on the issue of slavery. This was mainly because the slave states wanted to ensure their power in the Congress. They know that if there isn’t a balance of slave and free states, the free states would have more power in the government. This was also to ensure that the Senate would have a North or South majority to pass laws regarding slavery. This Compromise ended up with Missouri admitted as a slave state, but also made Maine a free state. Although this was controversial, it kept the nation together until the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

However, blundering politicians contributed significantly to its failure. Stephen Douglas created a number of problems when he tried pass the Kansas - Nebraska Bill, although Northerners were keen to see Nebraska developed, Southerners were less enthusiastic, due to the fact that it lay north of latitude 36 30. and by the terms of the Missouri compromise all new states would eventually enter the Union as Free states. Douglas knew he needed Southern support to enable the bill to be passed in congress; this meant he would have to change the bill so that the South had a chance of expanding slavery in this area. Although in theory slavery could move Northwards, Douglas felt that due to the climate problems this was highly unlikely. Douglas, a great believer in popular sovereignty saw no problem in letting the people of Kansas - Nebraska decide their own fate. Douglas believed that in doing this he had succeeded in winning over the South without conceding much in return. However, Douglas had miscalculated the feeling in the country. Between 1854 and 1856 there were a number of issues that arose, primarily due to both sides trying to influence popular sovereignty. A significant individual error was made by President Pierce who appointed Andrew Reeder, a pro-slaver, as governor of the territory. It was obvious from that start that he was incapable of handling that situation. In the first elections pro-slavers from Missouri crossed