Missouri Compromise (1820) A Free State: (before the Civil War) A state in the United States in which slavery was illegal (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/free%20state). A Slave State: Any of the 15 states of the Union in which slavery was legal before the Civil War. (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/slave+state) In 1819, a huge debate grew in Congress as to whether or not to make the new state of Missouri and free state or a slave state. Missouri wanted to become part of the union with slavery, but questions of power arose which prompted a written statement that would hopefully appeal to both sides. The Missouri Compromise was that very statement. It was a two-part compromise that helped balance both sides of power, appeal to
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In 1820, Speaker of the House Henry Clay settled the dispute, by creating a compromise that would appeal to both sides. Clay wrote a compromise that permitted Missouri to be a slave state, but did prohibit slavery to continue North of the Missouri line. Meanwhile, a new state was being created, Maine, which would turn out to be a free state. This allowed both Northern and Southern states to remain in equal power. “And it be further enacted, that in all territory, under the name of Louisiana, what lies north of thirty-six degrees and thirty minutes north latitude, contemplated by this act, slavery and involuntary servitude, otherwise than in the punishment of crimes, whereof the parties shall have been duly convicted, and is hereby forever prohibited: Provided always” (Henry Clay, Transcript of the Missouri Compromise, 1820). Although the compromise seemed to fix the problem, tensions started to rise again when Missouri wanted to keep free blacks from entering the state. Because it was unconstitutional, Clay offered up a second compromise that banned discrimination against anyone who wanted to enter any state. “The Federal Constitution provides that each citizens of each state were entitled to all privileges and immunities of citizens in other states” (Norton, A People and a Nation, 224). Clay made sure that the second compromise appealed to the constitution so that there weren’t and further
In 1820, Speaker of the House Henry Clay settled the dispute, by creating a compromise that would appeal to both sides. Clay wrote a compromise that permitted Missouri to be a slave state, but did prohibit slavery to continue North of the Missouri line. Meanwhile, a new state was being created, Maine, which would turn out to be a free state. This allowed both Northern and Southern states to remain in equal power. “And it be further enacted, that in all territory, under the name of Louisiana, what lies north of thirty-six degrees and thirty minutes north latitude, contemplated by this act, slavery and involuntary servitude, otherwise than in the punishment of crimes, whereof the parties shall have been duly convicted, and is hereby forever prohibited: Provided always” (Henry Clay, Transcript of the Missouri Compromise, 1820). Although the compromise seemed to fix the problem, tensions started to rise again when Missouri wanted to keep free blacks from entering the state. Because it was unconstitutional, Clay offered up a second compromise that banned discrimination against anyone who wanted to enter any state. “The Federal Constitution provides that each citizens of each state were entitled to all privileges and immunities of citizens in other states” (Norton, A People and a Nation, 224). Clay made sure that the second compromise appealed to the constitution so that there weren’t and further