Missouri Compromise Notes

Compromise

Definition - an agreement or a settlement of a dispute that is reached by each side making concessions

Essential Characteristics - collaboration, understanding, trade-offs, give-and-take

Examples - peace

Nonexamples - war, fighting, disagreement

Perserverance of Slavery

• In 18th century they believed slavery would fade away on its own

  • Gradual emancipation laws in the North

  • “Act Prohibiting the Importation of Slaves” in 1808

• 1791 invention of cotton gin growth of more cotton and increased demand for slaves

• Internal slave trade flourishes in the south

• Slave owners expand westward (especially after Louisiana Purchase)

Abolition Movement

• Early abolitionists were concerned with gradual emancipation and black rights in the north

• “Neglected” period of abolition

Southern Diffusion Theory

• Southern leaders argued against control of slave trade/sale of enslaved people

• Thought they had too many slaves and if they were set free, they would revolt

• Instead of freeing “extra” slaves, they sold them or moved them west

• Argued “diffusion” to the west created better living conditions for slaves

• Argued emancipation could come from smaller/scattered populations of slaves

The Missouri Compromise

• Missouri Territory applied for statehood in 1818

  • Northeners saw it as Northern state (since it was next to Illinois)

  • Southerners saw it as Southern state (south of Mason Dixon Line)

  • People living in M.T. practiced slavery

• First state west of the Mississippi River

• Compromise reached by Henry Clay (speaker of the House)

• Missouri admitted as slave state and Maine admitted as free state (to keep Senate balanced)

• No slavery north of latitude 36 degrees 30 but permitted south of the line

Legacy of the Missouri Compromise

• High tensions led to the Compromise of 1850 to diffuse tensions

• Missouri Line was repealed by Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854

• Missouri Compromise deamed unconstitutional by 1857 Supreme Court decision Dred Scott v. Sandford