Admittance of Missouri Into the Union Such

¶ … admittance of Missouri into the Union such a contentious issue?

During the period of early nineteenth century, there was a one by one admittance of several states from the British rule into U.S. government, acquiring a representation in the senate. It was the time when there was an equal number and representation of free and slave states in the U.S. senate. When Missouri tried to admit as a state, it was first expected that it would be a slave state. But at the same time, Maine, which was a factory area and destined to be a free state, demanded its representation in the Senate. At first, the Senate joined the two bills as a same with the exception that only the southern boundary of Missouri which is the Louisiana Purchase north of 36°30'N lat would be the slavery prohibited area. This compromise is known as the Missouri Compromise in the history and was treated as a controversial one as there was no need of an imaginary border just for the sake of balanced representation in the Senate. Also, the slave holders within Missouri were of great opposition to this bill. Therefore in March 1820, the House rejected this bill and Maine was admitted into the Union as a free state while Missouri on the whole became the slave state.

2. What was Adams position in the issue and what was the compromise that followed? Did he agree with the compromise and what is it about the compromise that settled (or didn't settle) the issue of slavery in the future?

John Quincy Adams was the secretary of state during the period of 1817-1825. He was strictly opposed of the concept and practice of slavery and predicted that the laws in the support of slavery would eventually lead to a civil war. He was of the view that president should use his powers in order to abolish the slavery from the union. For this purpose, he favored the Missouri Compromise which entitled the area of Missouri as a slave state except its southern border of Louisiana State. Although in his own words, the compromise put the Union at hazard, yet it could be regarded as a first step towards the abolishment of slavery from the continent. From this bill, it became obvious that the congress do not want slavery to prolong longer in the continent. Although there were certain other reservations too like the states which would admitted from the southern boundary will be slave states and there would be no transportation of slaves within Missouri. Hence the compromise became one of the several reasons for U.S. civil war.

3. Was the compromise really a solution?

Apparently the compromise sought to be a good solution to avoid any counter situation between the free and slave states. Both the parties have their own reservations over the issue. The Free states were fearful that they might lose the equality in the senate and the slave states would get the majority representation. On the other hand, slave states were under the impression that by doing the compromise, the attempts to eradicate slavery from the continent are getting enough support by the government. Hence the compromise was suggested to be a good solution for both parties for the time being. Later, it was believed that the compromise actually led to several factors of U.S. civil war in which finally the practice of slavery was abandoned all over the continent.