1821- A State is Born

Missourians wanted to their territory to become a state.  They asked the United States Congress to make Missouri a state.  During this time, several states in the union were slave states or free states.  Missouri asked for their state to be a slave state.  Since there were already 11 free and 11 slave states, Missouri's entrance as a slave state would make this unequal.  What would Congress decide?

Your mission:

• Examine the following websites.  With your partner, answer the following questions to better understand how Missouri became a state and the effects of this event.
• Create a timeline of events beginning with 1812 when the Louisiana Territory was renamed the Missouri Territory.
  • Timeline template - use the websites and chapters 3-5 in your Missouri book.
  • MO Then & Now chapters 3-5 links

Questions to answer:

1. Explain how the Missouri Compromise made it possible for Missouri to enter the Union.
2. What was the Dred Scott Decision?

Resource Links:

• The Missouri Compromise
• The Show-Me State
• Dred Scott Decision
• A State is Born Video - Click on this site and then scroll down until you find the title of the video.  Be patient as you will have to wait for it to load.