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Missouri Compromise: Quick Facts

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Facts

Date 1820
Location Missouri • United States
Context American Civil War • the South

Did You Know?

  • Henry Clay gained the nicknames "the Great Pacificator" and "the Great Compromiser" because of his role in the Missouri Compromise.
  • The Missouri Compromise was declared unconstitutional in Dred Scott v. Sandford.
  • The compromise was condemned by some Southerners because it set the precedent that Congress could make a law regarding slavery.

Photos and Videos

Three historical maps of the United States show how the extension of slavery into new territories changed with major compromises: the Missouri Compromise of 1820, the Compromise of 1850, and the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854. Each map uses color coding to indicate areas where slavery was prohibited, permitted, or left to territorial decision, highlighting shifting boundaries and key states or territories affected by each law.
Henry Clay
Missouri Compromise
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Related Topics and References

Topics

Key People

Henry Clay
Henry Clay
United States senator
James Monroe
James Monroe
president of United States
Franklin Pierce
Franklin Pierce
president of United States