Why was the admission of Missouri as a slave state controversial in the Senate?
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The admission of Missouri as a slave state was controversial in the Senate due to several reasons. One of the main reasons was the balance of power between the North and South in Congress. At the time, there was an equal number of free and slave states in the Union, and the admission of Missouri as a slave state would upset this balance.
To understand the controversy surrounding this issue, it's important to know about the political climate of the early 19th century in the United States. As the country expanded westward, the question of whether new states should allow slavery or not became a major point of contention between the Northern and Southern states.
In 1819, Missouri applied for statehood as a slave state. Many Northerners were opposed to the expansion of slavery, fearing that it would lead to the spread of the institution into new territories. They argued that allowing Missouri as a slave state would upset the balance of power in Congress, giving the Southern states greater influence.
On the other hand, Southern senators supported Missouri's admission as a slave state because it maintained their economic and political power. They saw the expansion of slavery as essential for their agricultural economy and feared that any limitation on slavery would threaten their way of life.
The debate over Missouri's admission as a slave state became a turning point in the sectional conflict over slavery. Eventually, a compromise was reached in 1820, known as the Missouri Compromise. According to this compromise, Missouri was admitted as a slave state, but in order to maintain the balance, Maine was also admitted as a free state.
In addition, it was agreed that slavery would be prohibited in all new states north of the 36°30' parallel, which became known as the Mason-Dixon line. This compromise temporarily eased the tensions between the North and South, but it did not solve the underlying issue of slavery, ultimately leading to further conflict in the years to come.
To dive deeper into this topic, you can study the historical documents, speeches, and debates surrounding the Missouri Compromise and the broader issues of slavery and its expansion during this period.