The Missouri Compromise was one of the great landmark episodes in a series of events that slowly led up to a fracturing of the northern and southern states which constitute the United States of America. Eventually, over time, and with the addition of other factors, this fracture would grow into the American Civil War. The Missouri compromise is not simply a bygone event, it is an important component of American history and it’s effects have altered the course of history. Had things gone differently the United States might have become a very different sort of place than it is today. To fully appreciate the Missouri Compromise one must know a little bit about what was going on in the country just before it took place. The major event which preceded the compromise was the great Panic of 1819. In 1819 …show more content…
Now in 1819, much to the consternation of the other banks, the Second Bank of the United States demands payment in cash. “Hundreds of banks, unable to redeem their notes, failed, and thousands of speculators lost their property to foreclosures.” This great shock to the economy was experienced still almost six years after the fact. Of course the farmers were most heavily impacted by this great depression in the economy. The panic did not stop with the farmers, it also affected shopkeepers, workers, and producers. In short, no one escaped being hit by the depression. Something had to be done about this. People called for the dissolution of the Second Bank of the United States, trade unions were formed, and “One response was a widespread call for ‘stay laws’ aimed at protecting debtors in danger of losing their property to creditors.” These are but a few examples to show just how poor America’s economy was in 1819 before the compromise took place. The Panic led also to an increase in the “sectional divisions” that had been forming throughout the
The Missouri Compromise was a sequence of controversial agreements that was created in 1820 with the purpose of diffusing the volatile atmosphere which had swept through the United States. The focal point of this situation centered around the territory of Missouri, who had finally appealed to enter the Union as a slave state. However, during this time period of American history, there were exactly eleven free states and eleven slave states in the Union. Realizing that the addition of Missouri would throw the fragile balance of the divided country into chaos, Congress proposed the Missouri Compromise in an effort to maintain the status quo. The terms of the first Compromise stated that Maine was to be admitted as a free state, while Missouri
Document 6, talks about the Missouri Compromise dividing Free states from slaves states. It also shows fear of a permanent disunions and that every argument will make the separation much deeper and everlasting. The Missouri compromise was passed in 1820 between the pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions. It involved the regulation of slavery in the western territories. The main problem was that the north and south had different moral and political views on
The Missouri Compromise has impacted America today greatly for many reasons. One of the few reasons include, “It marked the beginning of the … conflict over the extension of slavery that led to the American Civil War.” (Encyclopædia Britannica, Missouri Compromise) Currently territories south of the Ohio River and the Mason Dixon Line were considered pro-slave states. A significant portion of Missouri is north of the Mason Dixon Line, but many citizens of Missouri were still slaveholders.
Slavery was allowed for a long period of time because of this compromise and it was very horrible for the slaves in the South. In the South, they allowed slavery and the North did not allow it and soon later the civil war will start. The other consequence of the Missouri compromise was that it led to the Civil war. Even though it delayed the civil war, but it was one of the consequences of the Missouri compromise. The South fought for states rights to withdrawal from the union and the North fought for the union to preserve for the United States. The North did not want to South to withdrawal and still allow
The Missouri Compromise of 1820 was intended to solve the issue of slavery and create peace within the union. However, as seen in the following documents, all the Missouri Compromise did was push the issue down the road. Document A, Andrew Jackson expresses great concern about the possible consequences of the Missouri Compromise. Jackson claims that the controversy on this issue will not only divide the nation but also encourage violence and uprisings. He accuses the Eastern interests of placing their own power and political ascent above the good of the nation as a whole and foreshadowing the growing hostility between different regions.
The Missouri Compromise, one of the most known agreements in American history, was an attempt presented by Henry Clay in calming sectional division between the Northern and Southern states over the issue of slavery. While the Missouri Compromise found a temporary solution in regards to representation resulting in twelve free states and twelve slave states(G), it also, however, ignited the strong feelings, opinions, and justifications of two opposing sides and "heralded" the future unsuccess of the Union. No longer could our forefathers postpone such an imminent issue as was done during the infancy of the United States government. The Missouri Compromise was a success in a sense, not merely
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.
The Missouri Compromise was an effective temporally political compromise in reducing sectional tensions prior to the Civil War because it preserved a balance between the Northern and Southern states. In 1819, United States concluded with an equal number eleven slave and free states. However, settlers petitioned for Missouri as a slave state for its large population and became the first state to apply that was completely from the Louisiana purchase. Many opposed of Missouri as a free state due to the imbalance of states. This was resolved by admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine
The Missouri compromise was an effort by congress to settle the sectional conflicts made by Missouri's admission to the union. The union was balanced with 11 free and 11 slave
The Missouri Compromise was created by Henry Clay and it was passed in 1820.The Missouri compromise was made between Northern anti-slavery states and Southern pro-slavery states, because they wanted both states to be equal. During the Compromise, the north and south arugued with each other whether the new states should be slave state or free state. There were many effects that caused by the Missouri Compromise. For example, Maine entered the United Staes as a free state and Missouri entered the United Sates as a slave state. But the south lost the chance to admit more slave holding states besides what they owned in the small territory, and in the north Maine was separated from Massachusetts. During that age, slavery was banned in parts of the
The 1820 Missouri Compromise played a large role in the campaign against slavery. In 1819 Missouri became a statehood and congress considered framing a state constitution, with this a representative attempted to add a anti-slavery legislation with it. This is what started the process of the campaign against slavery. Henry Clay made a large contribution toward this compromise in 1820, with his new ideas on how to settle the conflict between the North and the South, which lasted until 1954.All the compromise’s made from 1820's to the Kansas Nebraska compromise
The Missouri compromise was a very important event that marked the beginning of the long battle against slavery. In the years leading up to the Missouri compromise tensions were rising between the North and the South. The states were all being divided into slave states and free states. Free states were states that were anti-slavery and were made up of mainly Northern states while slave states were states that supported slavery and were all mostly Southern states. Before the Missouri compromise the amounts of slave and free states were kept balanced. When Missouri met all the requirements to become a state and wanted to be admitted as a slave state, it threatened to tip the balance. The Missouri compromise allowed the admission of Missouri as a slave state while at the same time allowing Maine to be admitted as a free state, maintaining the balance. It also prohibited slavery in the states North of the southern boundary of Missouri. This conflict inspired other people and was the first major battle against slavery. It also kept the number of free and slave states even preventing the balance from being tipped in favor of slavery. One of the arguments that I intend to make to prove that the Missouri compromise was the beginning of this battle is that the Missouri Compromise prevented pro slavery states from gaining majority in the senate. A second point that I will make is that the Missouri compromise opened up serious debates and conversations that otherwise may not have
The Missouri Compromise was a temporary solution to the issue of slavery and territorial rights such as the movement West. Two areas of land wanted to become states in 1820, known as Maine and Missouri. Maine wanted to enter as a free state with no slavery as everyone in that area was against it and wanted it abolished. Missouri wanted to enter as a slave state and was all for slavery and wanted it to be spread all throughout the country. The compromise everyone came into conclusion with, was that there would be no slavery allowed north of 36° 30’ latitude. This angered the Southerners because their intention was to promote slavery not have it abolished. They realized that this compromise threatened the balance between free and slave states; Maine and Missouri. In order to expand slavery, the South felt that the United States would need territory from Mexico. The only area of land left was in Arkansas and that line became known as the Missouri Compromise line. The impact that the Missouri Compromise had on the United States was tremendous and had many effects on issues such as national politics, the institution of slavery, and the overall togetherness of the nation as a whole.
The Civil War was a very important time in history. The Missouri Compromise was one of the causes of the war. It basically settled the dispute of Missouri wanting to be a slave state. The Missouri Compromise was the states way of stopping all the newly gained states from becoming anti-slavery. The fear of having slavery banned across the whole United States scared many people.
Missouri compromise – The Mississippi compromise, which represents the nation’s first extended debate over slavery’s expansion, preserved sectional balance and prohibited the formation of slave states north of the Mississippi compromise line.