Missouri Compromise: Main Idea
Missouri Compromise: Main Idea
Slavery…and How Not to Address it
Way back in 1819, the U.S. was divided fairly evenly along pro- and anti-slavery states. The scales were balanced—which meant that no one had to address the seriously awful issue of, you know, owning humans.
But as westward territories became more eager to join the Union as official states, this presented a problem to these two factions in American politics. It was a big, geopolitical dun dun dunnnn.
Any additional state on either side would upset the haphazard balance that had so far been struck. This came to a head when Missouri pursued statehood in 1819, forcing legislators to confront the issue of slavery. They really didn't want to do that—because old white dudes felt uncomfortable, or something—so instead a series of bills were drafted and passed in a single block, leaving everyone unsatisfied and thinking they had gotten the short end of the stick.
Especially the slaves, of course, but the aforementioned old white dudes in power didn't really care about them anyway,
Questions
- What prompted the Missouri Compromise? How might this issue have been avoided?
- How is the Missouri Compromise a good model for the power of the democratic process? How is it just the opposite?
- What sort of issues today could benefit from a Missouri Compromise approach?
- Was the Compromise successful?
Chew On This
In the short-term, the Compromise had one job, and it did it well: preserve the Union. It was a hackjob attempt at stalling on the issue of slavery, and in this it performed admirably. However, as an actual political solution to the problem of slavery, it was woefully inadequate and would become entirely outdated in only thirty years.
The U.S. had faced a number of crises early in its history, but most of these had been external forces (*cough British cough*). The Missouri Compromise represents the first instance in American history when a major crisis from within threatened the integrity of the Union, and U.S. legislators did a remarkable job in avoiding the crisis, or at least delaying it.
Quotes
Quote #1
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That the inhabitants of that portion of the Missouri territory included within the boundaries herein after designated, be, and they are hereby, authorized to form for themselves a constitution and state government, and to assume such name as they shall deem proper; and the said state, when formed, shall be admitted into the Union, upon an equal footing with the original states, in all respects whatsoever. (1.1)
Of the three main things that the Compromise accomplished, this was the biggie. Establishing Missouri as a state with the right of self-determination of its own laws was the issue that kicked off this whole debate in the first place.
Quote #2
And provided also, That the said state shall have concurrent jurisdiction on the river Mississippi, and every other river bordering on the said state so far as the said rivers shall form a common boundary to the said state; and any other state or states, now or hereafter to be formed and bounded by the same, such rivers to be common to both; and that the river Mississippi, and the navigable rivers and waters leading into the same, shall be common highways, and for ever free, as well to the inhabitants of the said state as to other citizens of the United States, without any tax, duty impost, or toll, therefor, imposed by the said state. (2.2)
This is an oddly important bit to the formation of Missouri (and of all states after 1820). Congress wasn't messing around when they set their mind to writing an entirely new state into being, so they covered their bases when it came to the nitty gritty details. One such detail was how the Mississippi River was handled, making it a "common boundary" that was part of the state but not owned by it. Its further recognition as a common highway would have a impact on the way federal law could be applied to interstate travel.
Quote #3
And be it further enacted, That all free white male citizens of the United States, who shall have arrived at the age of twenty-one years, and have resided in said territory: three months previous to the day of election, and all other persons qualified to vote for representatives to the general assembly of the said territory, shall be qualified to be elected and they are hereby qualified and authorized to vote, and choose representatives to form a convention… (3.1)
While the Missouri Compromise was intended to give the new state self-determination as to its own laws, it wasn't quite an all-or-nothing deal. The Compromise sets certain limitations on the states geographical, electoral, and congressional boundaries. Certain other limitations or rights were afforded as well, like taxes on land distribution and water rights.
Quote #4
And be it further enacted, That in case a constitution and state government shall be formed for the people of the said territory of Missouri, the said convention or representatives, as soon thereafter as may be, shall cause a true and attested copy of such constitution or frame of state government, as shall be formed or provided, to be transmitted to Congress. (7.1)
This comparatively short section was the technical source of all this political hullabaloo in the first place. Could a new state make its own constitution, or would it be subject to the federal government's intervention? Okay, sure, it was really about slavery and internal political disputes, but this still set a powerful precedent for the recognition of state's rights in the history of the U.S.
Quote #5
That in all that territory ceded by France to the United States, under the name of Louisiana, which lies north of thirty-six degrees and thirty minutes north latitude, not included within the limits of the state, contemplated by this act, slavery and involuntary servitude, otherwise than in the punishment of crimes, whereof the parties shall have been duly convicted, shall be, and is hereby, forever prohibited: Provided always, That any person escaping into the same, from whom labour or service is lawfully claimed, in any state or territory of the United States, such fugitive may be lawfully reclaimed and conveyed to the person claiming his or her labour or service as aforesaid. (8.2)
The only part of the Compromise to mention slavery itself, and probably the bit that came back to haunt legislators the most. The strict division of slave and nonslave states based on geography had a decisive effect on America's trajectory towards civil war.