Missouri Compromise of 1820

     The Missouri Compromise of 1820 was in result of the Missouri Territory applying for statehood.  At the time there were eleven slave states and eleven free states.  Missouri desired to be a slave state, but this would upset the balance of free and slave states.  By chance Maine also applied for statehood in 1820 as a free state, thus keeping the balance.  Other provisions in the Missouri Compromise were the issues of slavery in the Arkansas and Florida Territories, and the remainder of the Louisiana Purchase.  Along with Missouri the Arkansas and Florida Territories were allowed slaves.  The Louisiana Purchase north of the 36°30' would be free.

Henry Clay creator of the "second" Missouri Compromise.  At the age of twenty-eight he became a senator despite the age requirement of thirty.

A "Second" Missouri Compromise


     Controversy over Missouri's Constitution almost caused Missouri to not become a state.  In the Missouri Constitution there was a provision that stated that there could be no free blacks or mulattoes.  This violated the federal Constitution because all citizens of each state are entitled to all privileges of citizens in other states per Article IV, Section 2.  Since there were free black citizens already in many states Missouri would be violating the federal Constitution by not allowing free blacks citizenship.  The "second" Missouri Compromise was created by Henry Clay to remedy this.  This compromise was that although this provision was in the Missouri Constitution the state would never enforce it.  By not enforcing this provision Missouri would not be in violation of Article IV, Section 2 of the federal Constitution. 

Images from the compromise

  

 

This is a visual map showing the Missouri territory that was formerly Louisiana.

- Brandy Leek

 

 

 

 

This is a visual image of the first page of the speech delivered to the U. S. Senate concerning the Missouri compromise on February 17, 1854

- Brandy Leek

 

 

The Compromise to maintain balance

 

           The Missouri Compromise came at a time when tensions were high regarding slavery versus non slavery. After a fragile creation of a balance in anti-slaves states vs pro-slave state, Missouri petitioned to be admitted as a state into the slavery states. This would have thrown off the political balance between the divided states and allowed an opportunity for pro-slavery to expand because they held a majority vote.  After over a year of the petition being requested the congress finally passed a two-part compromise allowing Missouri to become part of the pro-slavery states and Maine to be accepted into the anti-slavery state maintaining a balance between the divided country. The Missouri Compromise created an imaginary line known as the Mason Dixon line separating the anti-slavery states from the pro-slavery states. The Missouri Compromise preceded the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854.

 

 

Modernized Missouri Compromise

I think that the Missouri Compromise would relate to modern times because today states are undecided about gay marriage, whether to make it legal or not. Some states have chosen to allow it to be legal for same sex marriages. Others have chosen to not pass a law to allow same sex marriages. I feel like this is somewhat like the compromise because some states were torn between slavery and being a free state. If I were around during the time of the Compromise I would have rather lived in a free state, given I had a choice. Similarly, today I think it is unreasonable to not allow same sex marriages. I am totally for doing what you believe in, how you were brought up, or how you feel. Much like that people of the Missouri Compromise some agreed with freeing slaves and others didn't. 

This is a map of gay marriage in the United States. The country is torn. Just like in the 1800's, let the people be free and do as they please!!!

-Frankie

Missouri Compromise Map

This is a map, found on Google Images, that I thought was neat. It shows the states being divided and where exactly the compromise was. 

-Frankie 

Divisions During the Missouri Compromise

In the early 1800's there was crazy division among states. Twenty two states were equally divided, exactly half, eleven, were for slavery and the other eleven were against. During this time there was a standstill because Missouri itself was undecided about slavery and what they wanted with Louisiana. This caused the house of representatives to not allow anymore slaves into the state of Missouri, or to be transported through, which was a major point of progress. Shortly after Missouri was said to be a slave state whereas Maine was said to be a free state. Because both states extended slavery west of the Mississippi and were divided into free and slave states this constituted as the Missouri Compromise of 1820.

This is an image of the written Missouri Compromise dividing the states into free and slave.