Missouri Compromise

[civver_764]

Why exactly did the pro-slavery states care if slavery was illegal in the newer states? How did it affect them at all? I can understand the anti-slavery states caring because they thought it was morally wrong and whatnot, but there doesn't seem to be a reason for the pro-slavery guys to intervene. Were they just so racist that they all black men must suffer under the whip or something? I find that hard to believe.

 

[Cynovolans]

Because they were afraid that if more states were against slavery then the government would abolish it in the entire country. The entire Missouri Compromise was just to prevent northern states from having more power over the government than southern states.

EDIT: I learned that in history class just a few months ago.

 

[privatehudson]

Pretty much what Cynovolans said, the Southern states cared because they assumed that if the "free" states outnumbered the "slave" states the writing would be on the wall for slavery soon after. Each state would be represented by two senators, giving the entrance of a state for either side a majority unless the other could get one of theirs into the union. Both sides figured that the other would use that advantage to force their way of life on them.

The compromise saw Missouri enter the Union as a slave state but Maine enter as a free one shortly after. Similarly when Arkansas (slave) entered in 1836 Michigan (free) entered the next year.

 

[LightSpectra]

Every state gets two senators, so they always wanted more or the same number of pro-slave senators to make sure that no bill that attacks the institution get passed.

 

[pi-r8]

The southern states were way outnumbered in population, so they had no chance of winning a majority in the house. The only way they could possibly keep power in the government was in the senate.

 

[Antilogic]

The compromise saw Missouri enter the Union as a slave state but Maine enter as a free one shortly after. Similarly when Arkansas (slave) entered in 1836 Michigan (free) entered the next year.

On a semi-related note, anyone else annoyed by the language of "entering" the Union with regards to Maine? Strictly speaking, they were part of another state (Massachusetts), and thus were already represented in Congress at that time. To enter the Union implies no previous representation.

 

[privatehudson]

Can't say it occurred to me at the time I wrote that post frankly, don't think it really matters much either. It doesn't imply to me anything more than it becoming a state at that point.

But hey I'm British, you former colonials can argue the semantics of it if you like

 

[Antilogic]

Can't say it occurred to me at the time I wrote that post frankly, don't think it really matters much either. It doesn't imply to me anything more than it becoming a state at that point.

But hey I'm British, you former colonials can argue the semantics of it if you like

Actually, I'm not trying to pick on you in particular; I've seen it written in textbooks here the same way. I just noticed it and wanted to know if anyone else thought it was silly to suggest they were just entering the Union when they were part of the founding 13.

 

[North King]

Not terribly. The implication seems to be that the State government is the thing that's entering the Union, not the people (for the most part, the early union placed much more emphasis on state government than on popular government). Moreover, IIRC every other state that "entered" the Union (except for the founding 13) was some kind of territory or part of another state before joining.

 

[sydhe]

The compromise saw Missouri enter the Union as a slave state but Maine enter as a free one shortly after.

Other way around. Maine came in 1820 and Missouri in 1821. (I only remember because I'm from Maine originally.)

 

[civ_king]

Not terribly. The implication seems to be that the State government is the thing that's entering the Union, not the people (for the most part, the early union placed much more emphasis on state government than on popular government). Moreover, IIRC every other state that "entered" the Union (except for the founding 13) was some kind of territory or part of another state before joining.

ya mean like California and Texas?

 

[privatehudson]

Other way around. Maine came in 1820 and Missouri in 1821. (I only remember because I'm from Maine originally.)

You're right, I misread the wiki article about the compromise. I generally don't use them but being a Brit I don't have much of a memory for US dates (unless its the Civil War or the Wild West ). Not to matter, the point I was making is still valid whichever entered first.