The Missouri Compromise drew a boundary at which parallel to determine the fate of slavery in new territories?

The Missouri Compromise drew a boundary at which parallel to determine the fate of slavery in new territories?

• A. 40° North
• B. 32° North
• C. 42° North
• D. 36°30' North

Answer: (D)

This is about how the United States tried to manage the spread of slavery into newly organized territories. The Missouri Compromise set a boundary at 36°30' North latitude across the western lands from the Louisiana Purchase. North of this line, slavery would be prohibited in the new territories; south of it, slavery would be permitted. To keep the Senate evenly balanced between free and slave states, Missouri was admitted as a slave state and Maine as a free state. This arrangement gave a temporary solution to sectional tensions by limiting where slavery could expand, even though it highlighted the growing divide over the issue.

This is about how the United States tried to manage the spread of slavery into newly organized territories. The Missouri Compromise set a boundary at 36°30' North latitude across the western lands from the Louisiana Purchase. North of this line, slavery would be prohibited in the new territories; south of it, slavery would be permitted. To keep the Senate evenly balanced between free and slave states, Missouri was admitted as a slave state and Maine as a free state. This arrangement gave a temporary solution to sectional tensions by limiting where slavery could expand, even though it highlighted the growing divide over the issue.