Missouri Compromise Outcomes

The Missouri Compromise was indeed a compromise; both sides got something out of the bargain, but neither side got everything they wanted. Using a grid storyboard, have students outline the major points of the Compromise and how it was able to (more or less) satisfy both the North and South. Students may also include the demands each side made to understand what was compromised.

By analyzing and explaining each point of what the compromise called for, students will be able to explain and analyze its attempt to solve the question of slavery and its expansion. This activity will also solidify students’ understanding of what made up the compromise, as well as how it addressed the problems and concerns of both free and slave states.

Extended Activity

Have students compare and contrast the Missouri Compromise with that of the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854. This act negated the Missouri Compromise, so students will be able to compare and contrast both acts. Furthermore, it will allow students to connect the two acts, in particular how both pieces of legislature attempted to solve the question of slavery as well as its extension into newly acquired U.S. territories.