Student Question
Why did Missouri's request for statehood cause a furor?
Quick answer:
Missouri's request for statehood caused a furor due to the issue of slavery, threatening to disrupt the balance of power in the Senate between slave and free states. Prior to this, the Union was evenly divided, ensuring equal representation. Missouri's entry as a slave state would have tipped this balance, prompting the Missouri Compromise to maintain equilibrium and address the sectional tensions between the North and South.
The furor that followed this request was caused by the issue of slavery. This furor led to the creation of the Missouri Compromise.
Before Missouri asked to become a state, the states of the Union were evenly divided between slave states and free states. That meant that each side had the same number of Senators and power was fairly evenly distributed.
But when Missouri wanted to become a state, that balance of power would have been disrupted. The Senate would have had more members from one side or the other. This is why there was an uproar -- because the balance of power between North and South was going to be affected.
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