A political crisis arose when Rep. James Tallmadge of N.Y. proposed an amendment to a bill granting statehood to Missouri. He proposed that all slave children be freed when they reach their 25th birthday and that any further introduction of slaves be barred. The amendment passed the House of Representatives, controlled by the more populous North, but failed in the Senate. When it reconvened in December 1819, Congress passed a bill allowing Missouri to be admitted without restrictions on slavery. Further, on March 3, 1820, a decisive vote made free soil all western territories north of Missouri's southern border. However, many northern congressmen objected to this racial provision and the Second Missouri Compromise, of March 2, 1821, stipulated that Missouri could not gain admission to the Union until it agreed that the exclusionary clause would...
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Citation: Editors, Litencyc. "The Missouri crisis". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 01 March 2010 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=10862, accessed 09 June 2026.]
