mar 3, 1820 - Missouri Compromise

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With tensions high between the pro-slavery and anti-slavery parts of the country, both sides were looking for every edge they could get. In 1819, Missouri applied for statehood. Previously, the twenty-two states were evenly divided on the issue of slavery, putting them at an impasse; admission of Missouri would upset this balance. To maintain a balance in Congress, Maine was declared a state at the same time as Missouri. Additionally, slavery was banned in the Louisiana Territory above a certain latitude line. While it may have temporarily prevented a civil war, the issue of slavery stayed front and center in the eyes of the general public.

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