For years Americans had been practicing slavery. It had become a widespread practice by the 1800 s. In fact, it was a practice that had been around since the birth of our nation. Throughout the last decade, the colonists had been listening to their conscious es, in the back of their minds; they knew that slavery was wrong. They were beginning to take note and realize how cruel it actually was. Finally, in 1820, there was a minority of congressmen that rose up and took a stand.
It was then that the small, but important steps were made toward equal rights. In 1820 a man by the name of Henry Clay told the nation how he felt about slavery. Missouri, a state that was beckoning to join the union, practiced slavery. The balance of slave states and free states had been 12 and 12 for the past 15 years.
The Northern Americans simply didn’t want to disrupt that balance. Finally, an agreeable compromise was made. The Missouri Compromise stated that Missouri would in fact be admitted into the union-as a slave state. And Maine would also be admitted into the union as a “free” state.
Therefore maintaining the balance of free and slave practicing states. This compromise in no way solved any sort of problem-it only “swept the dirt under the rug” so to speak. This compromise lasted a mere 34 years. Basically, all it did was manage to postpone a growing problem.
Eventually, this compromise heralded the break up of the union. As Thomas Jefferson predicted, “the problem will burst on us like a tornado.” His prophecy was correct- it did with the Civil War.
The Essay on Missouri Compromise Slavery North State
The forefathers of our country had many ideals on the inherent inalienable rights of man, although this did not hold true for all peoples. Our country practiced slavery of the African. The agricultural economy of the south required the labor of slaves to complete their work. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 outlawed slavery of the current territory of the United States, but after the purchase of ...
