36'30
North 36 degrees 30 minutes
After the Missouri Compromise of 1820, there were essentially two designated slave territories: Missouri, which was admitted as a slave state, and Arkansas Territory (which later became Arkansas). The compromise aimed to maintain the balance between free and slave states, allowing slavery in Missouri while prohibiting it north of the 36°30' parallel, except for Missouri itself. Thus, the compromise established a clear boundary for the expansion of slavery in the western territories.
The Missouri Compromise of 1820.
The 1820 Missouri Compromise.
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise (1820)
In 1820, the Missouri Compromise allowed for the admission of Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, maintaining the balance between free and slave states. Additionally, the compromise established a boundary (36°30′ parallel) for future territories, permitting slavery in areas south of this line and prohibiting it north of it, except for Missouri. While no specific territories were officially added in 1820, this legislation had significant implications for the future admission and governance of territories in the expanding United States.
The Compromise of 1850 effectively nullified the Missouri Compromise line of 36°30' by allowing new territories acquired from the Mexican-American War to decide for themselves whether to permit slavery through popular sovereignty. This meant that the geographic boundary established by the Missouri Compromise, which had previously maintained a clear division between free and slave states, no longer held authority. As a result, the issue of slavery in these territories became more contentious and contributed to rising tensions leading up to the Civil War.
The Missouri Compromise, enacted in 1820, aimed to resolve the conflict between slave and free states regarding the admission of Missouri as a slave state. It established a boundary at the 36°30' latitude line, allowing slavery in Missouri and any territories south of this line while prohibiting it in territories to the north. This compromise temporarily eased tensions between the North and South over the expansion of slavery but ultimately highlighted the growing sectional divide that would lead to the Civil War.
The Missouri Compromise, enacted in 1820, aimed to maintain the balance between free and slave states in the United States as new territories were being added. It allowed Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state while Maine was admitted as a free state, preserving the equilibrium. Additionally, it established a geographical boundary (the 36°30′ parallel) across the Louisiana Territory, north of which slavery was prohibited, except in Missouri. This compromise was an early attempt to address the contentious issue of slavery in expanding territories.
The Missouri Compromise of 1820 included provisions such as admitting Missouri as a slave state, Maine as a free state, and establishing a boundary line at the 36°30′ parallel to determine the status of slavery in future territories. However, it did not include any specific measures for the abolition of slavery in existing slave states or any mandates for the treatment of enslaved individuals. Additionally, it did not address the broader issues of slavery beyond the territories of Missouri and Maine.
The Missouri Compromise provided that no Slave State could be established to the north of a line represented by the parallel 36° 30' coincident with the Southern boundary of Missouri.