The Missouri Compromise

Before the Missouri Compromise, there was large intolerance for slavery.  Yet when the Missouri Compromise was passed, the abolition movement died down.  The North had been guaranteed a large portion of land for free states, and the slavery debate had been largely downscaled.  Many people felt that there was much less of a need for total abolition (Ohio History Central).  The South, however, grew tenser and tenser during the period after the Missouri Compromise.  It had been guaranteed less land for slave states, and thus was threatened to be outweighed by the North in the senate.  However, when the Missouri Compromise was repealed, the power the North had experienced was given to the South (Harmon 4).  Because of the large numbers of slave owners in Missouri and surrounding areas, surely Kansas and perhaps Nebraska would become slave states, giving the South more congressional power.  Also, during the period of peace, abolition had declined.  The South had more support and more congressional power — an edge against the North (Appleby 437) (Ohio History Central).  If the Missouri Compromise had not been passed, perhaps abolitionists would have been able to raise enough support to end slavery without the need of militia, but by electing abolitionist representatives to pass laws ending slavery. But with the power given to the South by the repeal of the Missouri Compromise, the South was too strong to be defeated easily.

In 1860, tension over slavery rose to an uncontrollable level, and South Carolina seceded from the Union.  In 1861, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida followed South Carolina and seceded.  The United States had effectively become two different countries mainly because of slavery, and the Civil War had begun (Appleby 454-457).

The Civil War arose mostly from sharp conflict over the issue of slavery.  The Missouri Compromise contributed to that conflict.  Had the Missouri Compromise not been passed, the debate over slavery would have continued.  The Abolitionist movement would have continued to gain strength, and the North could have overpowered the South politically, with minimal violence.  The Missouri Compromise of 1820 was passed with the intention of settling issues over slavery, yet the Missouri Compromise neglected to address whether slavery was morally acceptable.  However, because of its illegality, it was replaced with a bill that caused violence and death.  The issue of slavery finally helped to divide the United States and start a brutal war.  The Missouri Compromise took the United States one step in the direction of the Civil War.