Facts, information and articles about Missouri Compromise, one
of the causes of the civil war Missouri Compromise summary: The
Missouri Compromise of 1820 was an effort by the U.S. Senate and
House of Representatives to maintain a balance of power between
the slaveholding states and free states. The slaveholding states
feared that if they became outnumbered in Congressional
representation that they would lack the power to protect their
interests in property and trade. Missouri Applies For Statehood
In 1819, the slaveholding territory of Missouri applied for
admission to the Union. Northern states opposed it, feeling that
Southern slaveholding states held too much power already. The
Constitution allowed states to count each slave as three-fifths
of a person for purposes of determining population, and
therefore, the number of Congressional representatives the state
was entitled to. This had given the South an advantage in
Congress. Slavery In The Northwest Territory Slavery had already
been creeping into the No