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GCSE History · key term
An 1820 settlement providing for Missouri to enter the United States as a slave state and Maine as a free state, preserving the balance between them. It prohibited slavery north of 36°30′ in the remainder of the Louisiana Territory, except Missouri. This territorial restriction was repealed in 1854 and declared unconstitutional in 1857.
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Paper 1
Revise: Key Events and Figures in the Lead-Up to WarThe Missouri Compromise of 1820 tried to preserve the balance between slave states, where slavery was legal, and free states, where it was prohibited. It provided for Missouri to enter as a slave state and Maine as a free state, so neither side gained an advantage in the number of states.
The Missouri Compromise’s 36°30′ restriction applied to the remainder of the Louisiana Territory, with Missouri excepted—not to every part of the United States.
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