How did the Missouri Compromise transform the nation?
The Missouri Compromise was signed on March 2nd, 1820. Since America was expanding west, they had acquired lots of new territory. The people in this territory wanted to join the Union, and become states; mostly Missouri. The Union was at that point made up of 11 slave states, and 11 free states, so the senate was balanced. If Missouri became a state, it would be a slave state which would ruin the balance. Some politicians thought that if they were to admit Missouri as a state, slavery should not be allowed. But on the other hand, this would not give that state the same rights to choose whether or not to allow slavery as the original states. Henry Clay devised a plan to solve this conflict, the Missouri Compromise. Signed in March 2nd, 1820, the Missouri Compromise admitted Missouri to the Union as a slave state, but would also admit Maine as a free state to maintain balance. Also, according to http://www.ushistory.org/us/23c.asp, "slavery was to be excluded from all new states in the Louisiana Purchase north of the southern boundary of Missouri".
This act was in place until the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1954 was passed. This act said that states above the border should be able to be free to choose whether or not they can allow slavery. African Americans opposed slavery, as can be expected, and were not very happy with these laws. Some free African Americans spoke out, and ultimately, this controversy led to the Civil War.
For more information: http://www.ushistory.org/us/23c.asp_
The Missouri Compromise transformed the nation by adding two states to the Union and stirring the fires within slaves and other people which ultimately led to the Civil war over slavery.