1820
Definition
In the context of US history, 1820 refers to the year when an important legislation called the Missouri Compromise was passed. It was an attempt to maintain a balance of power between slave and free states in the United States.
Analogy
Think of 1820 as a seesaw on which one side represents slave states and the other side represents free states. The Missouri Compromise is like an additional weight added to either side of the seesaw to keep it balanced.
Related terms
Missouri Compromise: This legislative agreement admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, while also establishing a line (36°30' parallel) across the Louisiana Territory, stating that all future states north of that line would be free while those south of it could allow slavery.
Slave States: Refers to states where slavery was legal and practiced before its abolition in the United States.
Free States: Refers to states where slavery was prohibited or abolished prior to or during the Civil War era.
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