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Missouri Compromise of 1820

Definition

An agreement passed in 1820 between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in Congress, admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state while prohibiting slavery north of latitude 36°30′ within Louisiana Territory.

Related terms

Compromise of 1850: A package of five separate bills passed by Congress that defused political confrontation between slave and free states on status of territories acquired during Mexican-American War.

Kansas-Nebraska Act: An act allowing settlers in newly organized territories north of Missouri border decide whether or not allow slavery within their region's boundaries.

Bleeding Kansas: A series of violent civil confrontations in Kansas territory between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions over whether Kansas should enter Union as a slave or free state.

"Missouri Compromise of 1820" appears in:

Study guides (1)

AP US History - 5.5 Sectional Conflict: Regional Differences

Practice Questions (2)

What was the main objective of the Missouri Compromise of 1820?
What was a primary cause leading up to the Missouri Compromise of 1820?

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