Was Missouri Admitted to the Union as a Free State?

No, Missouri was not admitted to the Union as a free state. Instead, it was admitted as a slave state in 1820 through a major legislative action known as the Missouri Compromise. This agreement was designed to maintain a balance between free and slave states and prevent further conflict over slavery.

The Missouri Compromise: A Brief History

The Missouri Compromise of 1820 was a significant piece of legislation that kept the Union together for several more years. The compromise admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, effectively maintaining the balance of power in the United States.

The compromise was particularly important because at the time, free states outnumbered slave states, making it crucial to maintain the balance. However, the main region affected by the compromise was an area known as "Little Dixie," centered about two-thirds across the state, east to west along and north of the Missouri River. This area was primarily agricultural, with the main crop being not cotton, but a diverse mix of crops and products.

Missouri's Agricultural Wealth: 1860 Census Data

According to the 1860 U.S. Agricultural Census, Missouri's agricultural wealth was considerable. The state boasted:

360,000 horses 80,000 milch cows 345,000 milking cows 800,000 cattle 940,000 sheep 4.2 million bushels of wheat 200,000 bushels of rye 72.8 million bushels of corn 3.6 million bushels of oats 23 million pounds of tobacco 41,000 bales of cotton 400 pounds of wool per bale 2 million pounds of wool 2 million bushels of potatoes 28,000 gallons of wine 12.7 million pounds of butter 250,000 pounds of cheese 142,000 pounds of maple sugar 700,000 gallons of molasses 79,000 pounds of beeswax 1.6 million pounds of honey

The value of slaughtered animals was estimated at $9,850,000, and the hay production was 400,000 tons. Additionally, the state had 2,350,000 swine and 940,000 sheep.

Impact of the Missouri Compromise: Little Dixie

The agricultural diversity of Missouri, particularly in the "Little Dixie" region, was a result of the Missouri Compromise. The main crop was not just cotton but a mix of various commodities, reflecting the diverse agricultural practices of the era. This region, spanning two-thirds of the state, was primarily influenced by the economic conditions set forth by the compromise.

Despite the diverse agricultural practices, the primary impact of the compromise was the establishment of slavery in parts of Missouri, forming the core of what is now known as "Little Dixie." The compromise ensured that the balance between free and slave states was maintained, which, while postponing the civil unrest, ultimately led to the Civil War.

Post Missouri Compromise: The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854

The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, introduced by Senator Stephen A. Douglas, repealed the Missouri Compromise's restrictions on the expansion of slavery. This act was one of the major catalysts for the Civil War. It reopened the question of slavery in the territories and led to intense debates and violence, including the famous event of the Bleeding Kansas.

Abraham Lincoln, who had briefly withdrawn from politics after the railways were built, was reinvigorated by the controversy surrounding the Kansas-Nebraska Act. His famous Peoria speech addressed the shifting moral and political landscape, as Lincoln stated:

Little by little but steadily as man's march to the grave we have been giving up the old for the new faith. Nearly eighty years ago we began by declaring that all men are created equal but now from that beginning we have run down to the other declaration that for some men to enslave others is a sacred right of self-government. These principles cannot stand together. They are as opposite as God and Mammon and whoever holds to the one must despise the other.

In addition, on January 1, 1865, just three weeks before the proposal of the Thirteenth Amendment, Missouri was finally admitted as a free state. This change came as a result of the outcome of the Civil War, which ultimately led to the abolition of slavery.

Conclusion

Therefore, Missouri was not admitted to the Union as a free state immediately. It was admitted as a slave state in 1820, and it was not until 1865 that it became a free state, following the abolition of slavery through the Thirteenth Amendment.