In February 1819, the territory of Missouri petitioned Congress to be admitted as a state. At the time, America consisted of 11 slave and 11 free states, so the question was whether Missouri, with 10,000 slaves, should be admitted as a slave state or be forced to free its slaves before it was allowed into the fold. Debate on the issue raged across the country. Finally, Henry Clay crafted a compromise in March 1820. Under the aptly named Missouri Compromise, Missouri was admitted as a slave state, and the territory of Maine came in as a free state, keeping a balance of 12 slave and 12 free. Congress also deemed that slavery would be excluded from any new states or territories above latitude 36 degrees, 30 minutes.
1. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage above?(A) Who Was Henry Clay?
(B) 11 Became 12
(C) Maine’s Entry into the U.S.
(D) What Was the Missouri Compromise?
(E) A Major Event Before the Civil War
2. According to the passage, how did the Missouri Compromise affect the entry of new states or territories into the United States?(A) New states located above a certain latitude could not practice slavery.
(B) New states below a certain latitude could not practice slavery.
(C) Slavery was banned in all new entering states.
(D) The Missouri Compromise outlawed slavery in the United States.
(E) Every new state was allowed to follow the practice of slavery, or its stance against slavery, from before it joined the country.
3. The author’s tone towards Missouri’s practice of slavery could best be described as which of the following?(A) Sneering condemnation
(B) Skeptical acceptance
(C) Repenting admittance
(D) Calm statement of fact
(E) Breezy confidence