What did the Compromise of 1820 achieve?

The Compromise of 1820, also known as the Missouri Compromise, was a significant legislative agreement aimed at resolving the contentious issue of slavery in the newly acquired territories from the Louisiana Purchase. The correct outcome of the compromise was the admission of Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state. This arrangement was designed to maintain the balance of power in the Senate between free and slave states, as Missouri's admission as a slave state could have threatened the political equilibrium.

By allowing Missouri to enter as a slave state while simultaneously admitting Maine as a free state, the Compromise effectively preserved a delicate balance that temporarily quelled tensions between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in the United States. Furthermore, the compromise included a provision that prohibited slavery in the remaining territory north of the 36°30′ parallel line, thus setting a geographical boundary for the expansion of slavery.

This resolution was a crucial moment in American history, as it highlighted the growing sectional divisions that would ultimately lead to the Civil War.