As with any new piece of legislation, there were people who supported and people who opposed the Missouri Compromise. Have students research those who supported the compromise, as well as what it called for, and those who opposed it and why. Students will use a T-Chart to compare and contrast the viewpoints from both the proponents of the compromise as well as the opponents.
After completing this activity, students will be able to analyze and synthesize what points in the compromise were debated on, agreed on, and also what points were heavily debated. This will give them further insight as to why the compromise was so highly debated and why it was eventually agreed upon.
Extended Activity
Have students create a grid storyboard on proponents and opponents of the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854. This will allow students to compare and contrast the arguments made both for and against the Missouri Compromise, as well as the Kansas-Nebraska Act. In addition, students will also gain a better understanding of the evolution of arguments made for and against slavery, as well as how/why it should or should not be expanded into new territory.
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Student Instructions
Create a storyboard comparing and contrasting the views regarding the Missouri Compromise of 1820.
Bring history to life by organizing a classroom debate where students role-play as proponents and opponents of the Missouri Compromise. Assign roles to students so they can research and represent different historical figures or groups. This active learning approach helps students deepen their understanding of the complexities and perspectives of the era.
Have each student or group select or be assigned a key figure or group from the time period, such as Henry Clay or Southern plantation owners. Encourage students to use primary sources to understand their assigned perspective. This fosters empathy and critical thinking.
Direct students to research and prepare evidence-based arguments supporting their assigned viewpoint. Remind them to include reasons, fears, and proposed solutions using both primary and secondary sources. This step builds strong research and reasoning skills.
Set up your classroom for a respectful debate. Alternate between proponents and opponents as they present their arguments. Allow rebuttal and cross-examination to encourage active listening and critical analysis.
After the debate, lead a class discussion to reflect on the arguments presented. Encourage students to discuss what points were most persuasive or surprising, and how the debate deepened their understanding of the Missouri Compromise.
The Missouri Compromise of 1820 was a U.S. legislative agreement that allowed Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state and Maine as a free state, maintaining the balance of power. It was important because it temporarily eased tensions between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions over the expansion of slavery in new territories.
Proponents included Henry Clay and other legislators who sought to preserve the Union and maintain a balance between free and slave states. Opponents were mainly southern leaders who feared limits on slavery's expansion and some northern abolitionists who opposed the spread of slavery altogether.
Students can use a T-Chart to organize and contrast the arguments of proponents and opponents. This helps visualize reasons for and against the compromise, such as beliefs about states' rights, congressional power, and the expansion of slavery.
Opponents argued that the compromise gave Congress too much power over slavery, threatened states' rights, and set a troubling precedent. Some feared it would intensify sectional conflict or fail to truly resolve the slavery issue.
Creating a grid storyboard comparing the proponents and opponents of both the Missouri Compromise and the Kansas-Nebraska Act helps students see how arguments about slavery and states' rights evolved over time.