What did the Missouri Compromise of 1820 achieve?

The Missouri Compromise of 1820 was significant in maintaining the balance of power between slave and free states within the Union. At the time, the admission of Missouri as a slave state raised concerns about the increasing number of slave states compared to free states. To resolve this, the compromise admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, thus preserving the equilibrium in the Senate.

This action was crucial in delaying sectional conflicts over slavery and demonstrating a temporary solution to a contentious issue. By creating a line across the Louisiana Territory (the 36°30' parallel), the compromise also designated future states north of this line as free and those south of it as slave states, further attempting to balance interests between the North and South. The compromise reflected an effort to manage the inherent tensions surrounding the expansion of slavery in new territories, thus solidifying its impact on the political landscape of the time.