Senate Vote - Compromise Admission of Missouri and Maine

To resolve the issue of admitting Missouri as a "slave state," thereby ending the senatorial "balance of power" between "free and slave states," the Senate suggested a compromise.

The compromised approach would split the existing state of Massachusetts in two (thereby creating a new state called "Maine"). Maine would be admitted as "free" and Missouri would be admitted as "slave."

This page (from the Senate record for the 16th of February, 1820) shows that the compromised approach was approved by 23 votes to 21.

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