Question

How did agreeing with the Missouri Compromise MOST represent a departure from the states’ rights position held by most pro- slavery legislators before the Civil War?

1 It required a large amount of follow-up legislation to enforce it.
2 It forced non-slaveholding states to allow slave hunters inside their borders.
3 It made it more difficult for states to change their minds about slavery later if they felt the need.
4 It did not give new states the freedom to choose for themselves if they would be slave or free states.

Answer 1

The Missouri Compromise represented a departure from the states' rights position held by pro-slavery legislators by requiring follow-up legislation for enforcement, limiting the freedom of new states to choose their slavery stance, and making it more difficult for states to change their position on slavery.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Missouri Compromise, which was passed in 1820, represented a departure from the states' rights position held by most pro-slavery legislators before the Civil War in several ways:

1. It required a large amount of follow-up legislation to enforce it. This showed that the federal government would take an active role in regulating issues related to slavery, rather than leaving it up to the states.
2. It did not give new states the freedom to choose for themselves if they would be slave or free states. The compromise established the 36°30′ line, which prohibited slavery north of that line in the Louisiana Purchase lands.
3. It made it more difficult for states to change their minds about slavery later if they felt the need. By setting a clear boundary on where slavery was allowed, the compromise limited the flexibility of states to decide their own stance on slavery.

Overall, the Missouri Compromise demonstrated a shift towards a more centralized approach to the slavery issue, diminishing the power of individual states to decide their own policies.