MTTC Social Studies 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

The Missouri Compromise of 1820 was a significant legislative agreement that aimed to maintain the balance between free and slave states in the Union as westward expansion occurred. Specifically, it established that slavery would be prohibited in all territories north of the latitude line of 36 degrees, 30 minutes north, which included the northern limits of the state of Missouri, except for Missouri itself.

By allowing Missouri to enter as a slave state and Maine as a free state, the Compromise sought to resolve the immediate tensions between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions. This compromise effectively drew a geographical boundary regarding the expansion of slavery into the western territories, allowing for the continuation of slavery in the south while banning it in the northern regions above that latitude line.

This context reinforces why the prohibition of slavery north of 36 degrees, 30 minutes latitude is correctly associated with the Missouri Compromise, as it was a central aspect of the legislation that shaped the future debates surrounding slavery and its expansion in the United States.