How did the Missouri Compromise intend to address the issue of slavery?

The Missouri Compromise aimed to address the contentious issue of slavery by maintaining a balance between slave and free states in the Union. Specifically, it was enacted in 1820 to manage the conflict that arose from Missouri's application for statehood as a slave state, which threatened to disrupt the delicate balance of power in Congress.

The compromise allowed Missouri to enter as a slave state while simultaneously admitting Maine as a free state. This was significant as it preserved the political equilibrium between the North and the South. Additionally, the compromise included a provision that prohibited slavery in the territories north of the 36°30′ parallel, which further aimed to delineate where slavery would be legally recognized and where it would not. This compromise was crucial in delaying the sectional tensions over slavery, illustrating an early attempt to navigate the fraught political landscape of the time.