Missouri compromise in 18201 was a piece of legislation setby Henry clay with the intentions to defuse the tensions between AmericasBicameral Parliament , created by Missouris request as slave state. FollowingLouisiana acceptance as a slave state in 1812 there were no other territoriespetioning congress for statehood out of Purchase lands. This was until 1812whereby request by Missouri , challengedthe stability of both the Senate and the House and through the differentiationin opinions of policies an impasse within the government sparked.
As well asgenerating tensions, Missouries admittance being in the trajectory of the freestates marked the beginning of the antebellum period whereby westward expansionbecame a focus and fear in the Northern territories and consequently in effortto combat the reality of westward expansion, Southerners way of life becamethreatened. The granting of Missouris request received immediate oppositionparticularly by James Tallamage who proposed the “Tallmage Ammendment2” , whichwas defeated in the senate who held a parity of free and slave states despitebeing passed in the house who had more free states. The Missouri compromiseconditions included accepting maine who was initially part of Maschettutes as afree state in order to enable parity of free and slave states as well asprohibiting slavery in areas of the Louisana Purchase that is north of the36’30 parallel.Slavery being prohibite in areas of the Louisiana Purchase northof 36’30 parallel was mainly done so as a method of ensuring fears of westwardexpansions fo slavery is at bay. The controvery that sparked through as Missourisrequest hihglighted the division in the nation and how slavery was a prominentfactor in engineering this divison.
This plays into how the Missouri compromisekick starts the antebellum period , whereby slavery and its econmics drove thesouthern sentiment and fear of westward expansion was a massive threat for thenortherners. This ultimatley ties in with how the Missouri compromise became astepping stone for these sentiments to heighten and thus spiral out of control, consequently leading to a civil war . In terms of slaves , the compromise destoryed the hopes for emancipationof slaves on a gradual levels and essentially helped slaver to become alegitimate Southern institution. However, the division in the South and Northas a whole , was created through the cotton gin invention as it made the beliefof slavery dying out which was accepted by both the North and the Southunlikely. The future of slavery began to look bleak pre cotton gin erafor both economic and social reasons .
Prior the cotton gin invention, thesouthern economy began declining through the exhausation of land created bytobacco production in hand with the field creating “lesser yields”. In essencethis meant, fields giving 1000 pounds of cotton in 1700 were giving half thatby 17933. In terms of Southern production and profitability , Thomas Jeffersonletter to William Draytion in 30 July17874 , highlighted his belief that grain demand from Europe will essentiallybecome the number one export, which did not require plantation labour,decreasing the demand for slave labour.
Across northern territories, manystates began the prohibition of slaves as evident in Connecticut, Rhode Islandand Georgia prohibiton of slaves in 1774 as well as Delware in 17765. As wellas prohibiting slaves, societys such as Pennsylvania Quakers began to activelyforbid members from owning slaves or engaging slave trade in effort to put a haltto international slave trade. African Americans, were also active in Americanpolitics which is seen in Massachusetts slaves petition for the government interms of their freedom in October in 28, 1783. Although unsuccessful, theability for slaves to petition led for hope in freedom of slavers and thuscreated a foundation for other slaves to gain rights. This is evident , inJanuary 1800 whereby the free black people Philadelphia petition for thecongress to end the trade in 1794 was validated in 18076. In conclusion, theperiod before cotton gin invention consisted of decline of slavery botheconomically and socially.
