The Missouri Compromise

Most white Americans agreed that the United States should expand westward. The question was what should

be done about slavery?

Slavery had become a pressing issue. Huge numbers of slaves had been forcibly moved to the new territories. At

the Constitutional Convention in 1787, the Founding Fathers tried to balance the interests of slave and free

states. They sacrificed the rights of African-Americans in favor of a stronger union among the states. Slavery

exploded as a debate once more in 1819 when Missouri asked to join the United States as a slave state.

1. What does it mean when the passage says “They sacrificed the rights of African-Americans in favor of a
stronger union among the states”?

It means that they took away and replaced it. For a stronger and more powerful nation.

2. When Missouri asked to join the United States, did they want to allow slaves or not allow slaves?

They wanted to allow slaves.

Bitter debate over Missouri

In 1819, the nation had 11 free and 11 slave states. Each state got two senators in Congress, so free and slave

states had an equal number of senators. This created a balance in the U.S. Senate. If Missouri entered the U.S.

as a slave state, it could give slave states more power. Congressman James Tallmadge from New York suggested

that slavery be outlawed in the new state. The debate in Congress was extraordinarily bitter. The defenders of

slavery asked how Congress could deny a new state the right to decide whether or not to allow slavery. They

argued that if Congress made that decision for the new states, then any new state would have fewer rights than

the original ones.

3. Based on Missouri’s decision about slavery, why was this a problem for the United States (especially in
Congress)?

Because before the states was evenly balanced between not having and having slaves. But if
Missouri was added in they wanted to be a slave state so than it wouldn’t be even anymore. The
slave started would overpower the non slave states.

4. Do you agree or disagree with the argument that the “defenders of slavery” made about Congress’s power to
deny or allow slavery in a new state? Why or why not?

I disagree. Because slaves should be free and if they couldn’t make that happen than they
should not make it so the people that has slaves overpower the people that doesn’t. Because if
they do than the people have a vote to see if the whole country could have slaves than they
would win.

Henry Clay, a leading congressman, played an important role in negotiating a solution known as the Missouri

Compromise. It had two parts. First, Missouri would be admitted into the U.S. as a slave state. It would be

balanced by the admission of Maine, a free state. Second, slavery was to be excluded from all new states in the

Louisiana Purchase north of Missouri. Congress drew a line across the U.S. along the southern border of

Missouri. People on both sides thought the compromise was very flawed. Nevertheless, it lasted for over 30

years. In 1854, the Kansas-Nebraska Act said that new states north of the boundary could choose slavery.

5. Explain how the “compromise” that was negotiated was able to keep power balanced in Congress.

They said that they will allow Missouri as a slave state but to balance it out they would make
main a free slave state.

6. What was the significance of the line that was drawn across the United States after this “compromise”?

So people know that one side is slave free and the other is not slave free.

"Filled me with terror"

In the Missouri Compromise, slave states were using the ideas of democracy and a state's right to

self-determination to try to justify slavery. But slavery went against the American belief in equality. The

Missouri crisis exposed a big problem in America that would later explode in a civil war. As Thomas Jefferson

said about the Missouri crisis, "This momentous question, like a fire-bell in the night, awakened and filled me

with terror," as he was terrified it would destroy the country.

7. In this paragraph, it says “In the Missouri Compromise, slave states were using the ideas of democracy and a
state’s right to self-determination to try and justify slavery.” How does this go against the American belief in
equality?

Because the people are trying to make there own law and kinda govern themselves.

African-Americans obviously were against expanding slavery in the West. News of the argument in Congress

circulated widely within slave communities. Denmark Vesey was a free black minister living in Charleston,

South Carolina. He quoted the Bible as well as congressional debates to denounce slavery at his church. Vesey

helped organize a slave rebellion in 1822. They planned to capture Charleston long enough for its black

population to escape to the free black country of Haiti. The rebellion was betrayed just days before it was set to

begin. Thirty-five of its organizers were executed, including Vesey, and his church was destroyed.

8. What do you think it means when the passage says that “The rebellion was betrayed just days before it was
set to begin”?

It means that there was a trader in with in the rebellion and the plan collapse before it even
began.

Divisions lead to slave rebellions

By now, anti-slavery feelings were building in the North and African-Americans were actively rebelling in the

South. Slaveholders were on the defensive. As one white Charlestonian complained, "By the Missouri question,

our slaves thought, there was a charter of liberties granted them by Congress." African-Americans knew that

Southern whites would not give them their freedom. However, they recognized that the divide between North

and South was growing larger. The battle over western expansion led to more slave rebellions. The largest was

Nat Turner's Virginia Slave Revolt in 1831.

9. In the passage it says “By now, anti-slavery feelings were building in the North…”. Explain what you think
the main reason was for these anti-slavery feelings.
The main reason that people in the north maybe didn’t want slavery because they knew it was wrong.
They also maybe couldn’t afford slavery.