The Missouri Compromise

The Missouri Compromise greatly limited the growth and development of slavery in the United States. It allowed Missouri to become a state, and to allow slaves, and Maine, as a free state. The compromise also prohibited the practice of slavery in the northern portion of the Louisiana Territory. By this time, the importation of slaves from Africa had been outlawed, and they could only be purchased within the country. This meant also meant, that states that entered would be free states. As westward expansion continued, the number of free states would be twice that of the already existing, and only, slave states. The Missouri compromise showed the different opinions that the regions, mainly the north and south, had about slavery. In the north they

Slavery became a key issue in the arguments of the north and the south. The south was very agricultural while the north was industrial. The south feared the declaration of freedom for the slaves by government leaders in the north. Government officials at the time were not interested in ending Slavery in the slave states, but instead in keeping newly admitted states from becoming slave states. The first official disagreement of this came in 1820. By the end of 1819, there were eleven Free states and eleven slave states. In 1820 Maine and Missouri wanted to enter the union and Congress had to decide whether to admit them in as Free states or slave states. At the time, Missouri had about two thousand Slaves. An amendment was introduced in the House by James Tallmadge, a New York Representative to ban slavery in Missouri when the amendment was voted on and passed in the house. In the Senate where the amount of slave state representatives was equal to the amount of Free states, it became a tie. A heated battle started between the representatives from the Northern and Southern states following the Missouri Compromise.

The issue of slavery was a significant “thorn in the side” of America from the very inception of our nation. Despite the fact that slavery was an accepted legal phenomenon in the eighteenth century, it also invoked significant controversy. Many Americans, typically those denizens of the southern states, felt that slavery was an indispensable economic necessity. Alternatively, others opined that slavery was an inherently immoral and unethical institution which denied certain races basic human rights, and as such warranted abolition, no matter the consequences. Although the Constitution never mentions the word “slave” once, slavery is referenced to in the Constitution several times, in three prominent compromises that our founding fathers were forced to make, for the sake of the establishment of a unified nation. These compromises had a lasting impact on future generations, both legally and emotionally.

With no final agreement, the country had no other choice but to go to war with itself. The slow decline of the, once powerful, Southern economy and the major issue of the abolishment of slaves are what led to the cause of the American Civil War. While economics and political structure played an important role in the cause of the Civil War, slavery was the main reason why altercations arose. Many historians and teachers try to hide the fact that slavery was such a huge factor in the cause of the Civil War because they looked at slavery as the “norm”. To them, the differences between the Republicans and Democratic formed great disagreement. Without the use of slavery, the South’s economy would not have thrived so much. ““You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know.” (William

In retrospect, the history of the antebellum America is quite fascinating. During this period, the young republic faced several challenges. One of the most serious ones was the slavery issue. Reading the related materials, people might understand that the Founding Fathers had actually pondered about the solution to the issue; however, they did not pursue it because they foresaw possible turmoil in American politics. Unfortunately, the issue kept simmering until it reached the boiling point which resulted in the disastrous Civil War. It is also interesting to read how the anti-and pro slavery camps argued for their beliefs, how politicians abandoned their old parties and formed the new ones based on their common beliefs or interests and how they fought for their political gains. The period of the antebellum America presents such a tumultuous one, yet it shows how the young republic struggled to find a path to a better union among those hungry for power and wealth. Above all, it does require wisdom, vision, courage, determination and political maneuvers

The issue the compromise was about was whether there should be slavery in the western territories. Maine wanted to be added to the Union, however, slavery was banned there. If Maine were to be added to the Union, it would upset the balance between free and slave states in the nation and the Senate. So, the Missouri Compromise, proposed by Senator Henry Clay, allowed Maine to enter the Union as a free state, and allowed Missouri to be entered into the Union as a slave state. However, the Missouri Compromise caused some problems. The compromise equaled the concerns and interests in the North and South, but the South was upset about how Congress gave itself the power to create and pass laws dealing with slavery. Much of the North was upset because Congress let slavery spread into another state. There were people who didn’t want to compromise, and others who did, such as Henry Clay. Clay wanted to keep the nation together. Henry Clay, a Senator, was someone who wanted to keep the nation together, so he gave a speech to the Senate in 1833 about how South Carolina cannot secede and become an independent state, and doesn't want to. “I say it is impossible that South Carolina ever desired for a moment to become a separate and independent state” (Doc A). For the people that were against slavery, they held anti-slavery conventions, talking about how awful slavery is and even called slave

The main reason why the Framers didn’t succeed in their final compromise is because it was too difficult to make all the delegates (who were basically competing) agree with each other, so numerous issues were ignored and most plans were severely compromised. An example of this is the debate between larger and smaller states over their representation in the newly proposed Senate. Two solutions were significantly favored: the New Jersey Plan and the Virginia Plan. The smaller states were in favor of the New Jersey Plan, which would enforce each state to send the same number of representatives to Congress. The larger states supported the Virginia Plan, which called for each state to have a different number of representatives based on the state’s population. Eventually, an agreement between the states was made known as the Great Compromise. The Great Compromise combined the New

The Missouri Compromise was made as an attempt to deal with the debate that had been going on about slavery. It lasted thirty-four years, but never truly made the North orouth totally happy with the situation. Although the Missouri Compromise did push back the debate on slavery in Missouri, it did not solve the problem as a whole. The tension between the North and South was, in fact reduced for a period of time. Once the Missouri Compromise was declared unconstitutional, the tension once again grew.

An agreement called the Missouri Compromise was passed by Congress in 1820.This compromise admitted the states in pairs, one slaveholding and one free. Then in 1857 the Supreme Court ruled that Congress had no right to prohibit slavery in the territories. With that in affect, territories than got the right of popular sovereignty, which allowed the people to determine if they would permit or prevent slavery within their borders not congress. As a result, settlers on both sides of the issue poured into the Kansas and Nebraska territories

Due to the fact that the South had more of an agricultural economy, the Southerners thought that the states should have the right to decide whether residents could own slaves, rather than the federal government. In 1846 a congressman from Pennsylvania named David Wilmot introduced a bill to the House of Representatives called the Wilmot Proviso. This said slavery would not be allowed in any western territory acquired from Mexico. Of course most of the politicians from the North loved the idea, while the politicians from the South did not.

To begin with, the date of the Caning of Sumner occurred on May 22, 1856 This event occurred in thein the Senate Chambers Senator. What happened was that Charles Sumner of Massachusetts criticized pro-slavery people in Kansas and personally insulted pro-slavery senator from South Carolina, Andrew Pickens Butler. Representative Preston Brooks relative of Butler, had a responded strongly to his remarks about Butler. On May 22 of 1856, Brooks used a walking cane to beat up Sumner unconscious in the Senate chambers.The north’s reaction towards the Caning of Sumner was that they were outraged and called the attacker “Bully Brooks”.The south’s reaction towards this incident was that they were happy and dozens of southerners sent Brooks new canes.The

In the era before the Civil War America was expanding westward. The Louisiana Purchase and other lands gained help to give America new land to expand on, but this leaded to issues with the division of free and slave states. As Missouri became a state they wanted to become a slave state, which caused trouble. In order to keep equilibrium between the states, Congress came up with the Missouri Compromise of 1820.The Missouri Compromise made Missouri a slave state and Maine a free state. The Treaty also made a line within the Louisiana Territory to keep slavery from moving up the

The United States Constitution, which shows law, rule and power, was ratified in 1787. In this professional document there have mention one important concept that is slave. However it did not completely resolve the slavery issue. In the flowing paragraphs, I will explain the ways in which the Constitution did and did not respond slavery and give the answer about in the Constitution why did the founding fathers not outlaw slavery completely.

Missouri Compromise was an agreement from the House of Representatives to reach a median to keep slavery out of Missouri after all the tribulations it had caused before it became a state. Henry Clay, Speaker of the House made important decisions in order for Missouri to be admitted as a state that could impact American history. In 1819, slavery was a resourceful profit to slave owners and this sparked a sectional controversy in the country over the efforts to expand slavery into the new western territories. The country had 22 states, eleven free eleven slave, and the line between them were distinguished by the northern and western boundaries of Pennsylvania and the Ohio River. (Txt. pg. 315)

From the time of the American Revolution in 1776, to the year 1852, there has been many causes to the opposition to slavery. Some have shown the support for increased opposition while others have shown to not support this opposition. This has caused many disputes about who is in the right. There is plenty of evidence between the two groups which were either supporting the opposition to slavery or they were not supporting the opposition. Three causes exist in support of and against this opposition: Social Darwinism, increased tolerance, and the need to unite the nation. These three of the many causes for the growing opposition to slavery show the rift in ideals in the United States.