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Since the end of the American War of Independence and the British recognition of the independence of the Thirteen Colonies, the issue of slavery has created a crisis in the United States of America.
While some demanded that the practice be continued because of the profits it generated on the owners of cotton, tobacco and mining farms, others stressed the importance of the abolition of slavery, considering it as an immoral practice.
During the year 1803, the Americans are optimistic after the agreement of Louisiana, thanks to which they double the area of their country, Napoleon Bonaparte agreeing to sell the French colony of Louisiana to the Americans, for a modest price of 15 million of dollars.
In addition, this new land, estimated at an area of over two million square kilometers, triggered a crisis in the United States of America after only about 17 years. In 1820, the Americans recovered thanks to an agreement between the Pro-Slavery and the Anti-Slavery.
Missouri crisis
In the year 1818, Missouri, once within the territory of Louisiana, stepped forward to join the Union as a new American state, while Missouri was teeming with defenders of slavery who preferred to maintain this system and exploit slaves in case their region turns into a state.
Painting of US President James Monroe
Meanwhile, the Missouri case sparked a crisis among anti-slavery supporters in the United States of America, as it threatened the possibility of transforming Missouri, which had two thousand slaves during James’ presidency. Monroe, in a pro-slavery mandate. the US Congress which was equally divided between partisans and anti-slavery.
During this period, the United States of America consisted of 22 states, half of which supported slavery, while the other half rejected this humiliating practice.
Should Missouri join the ranks of pro-slavery states, opponents feared losing the previous equal division and re-establishing slavery across the country as supporters of the practice won a majority.
Two states instead of one
As a first step, Republican Democratic Representative James Tallmadge attempted to intervene to change the status of this new state by proposing a bill allowing the transfer of Missouri to a state in exchange for freeing it from slavery and liberation of all slaves. Although the House of Representatives accepted this proposal, the Senate rescinded what had been brought by Representative Talmadji, demanding the preservation of slavery in Missouri.
2 photos
Portrait of Representative Henry Clay
Portrait of Representative Henry Clay
Photo of Deputy Talmadji
Faced with still hesitant negotiations, Rep. Henry Clay of the Republican Democratic Party presented a new proposal, dubbed the Missouri Deal, to preserve the balance of power. The latter hereby proposed to annex Missouri to the Union as a pro-slavery state and to make the Maine region of Massachusetts at the same time another anti-slavery state, so that two states of the union be annexed instead of one.
The Missouri settlement proposal appealed to senators who added another clause to divide the new territories in what was known as the former French Louisiana. Under this clause, the southern borders of Missouri were defined to separate the new pro and anti-slavery states, as it was agreed to make lands below the southern borders of Missouri in states in which the practice of slavery was allowed while all other areas north of this line were turned into slave free areas.
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