The issue of slavery within the Missouri Compromise slowed Arkansas's process of achieving statehood. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 allowed for the admission of Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, while also prohibiting slavery in the remaining territory of the Louisiana Purchase north of the 36°30' parallel. This led to debates and disputes over whether Arkansas, which was part of the Louisiana Purchase, should be admitted as a slave state or a free state. The battle between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions delayed Arkansas's statehood process, as politicians and residents argued over the status of slavery within the territory. Eventually, Arkansas was admitted as a slave state in 1836 after the passage of the Arkansas Act, which allowed for the formation of a state constitution that legalized slavery.
