Final answer:
The Missouri Compromise was passed in 1820 to address the issue of slavery in the United States. It aimed to maintain the balance between slave and free states and established a dividing line in the Louisiana Territory.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Missouri Compromise was a legislation passed in 1820 that aimed to address the issue of slavery in the United States. Under this compromise, Missouri was admitted as a slave state, while Maine was admitted as a free state, maintaining the balance between slave and free states in the Senate. Additionally, the compromise drew a line across the Louisiana Territory, stating that any new states admitted above the line would be free, and those below the line would be slave.
Learn more about The Missouri Compromise and its purpose