The Missouri Compromise was a series of laws passed by the U.S. Congress in 1820 that temporarily resolved the issue of slavery in the newly acquired Missouri Territory. The compromise admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, and it also drew a line across the Louisiana Territory at the 36°30′ parallel, above which slavery would be prohibited and below which it would be permitted.
The Missouri Compromise was a major victory for the pro-slavery faction in the United States, as it allowed for the expansion of slavery into new territories. However, it also led to increased tensions between the North and South, as the abolitionist movement gained strength in the North and the issue of slavery continued to divide the nation.