Missouri Compromise Dbq

The Missouri Compromise is commonly thought of as the beginning of American sectionalism, although the signs were visible long before 1819. The crisis solved by the compromise certainly alerted the South for the need for political unity in order to maintain its way of life in the face of a more populous North. Likewise, it alerted both regions to the political problems inherent in westward expansion. The Missouri Compromise did not create sectionalism, but it is important as the first possible signs of sectionalist differences in the US.

The Missouri Compromise was also important because it was successful, unlike future compromises. The Missouri compromise was successful for a number of reasons, not just because Congress was perfectly willing