Question

The government did not want to upset the balance between slave and free states. In other words, why did the government want to keep the number of slave and free states equal?

Answer 1

The government wanted to keep the number of slave and free states equal in order to maintain a balance of power between the Northern and Southern states. At the time, there was a great deal of tension between the North and South over the issue of slavery, and many people feared that if one side had too much political power, it could lead to unrest and potentially even a civil war. By keeping the number of slave and free states equal, the government hoped to prevent one side from gaining too much power and potentially destabilizing the country. This was a delicate balance, however, and it ultimately proved to be unsustainable, as the tensions between the North and South continued to escalate in the years leading up to the Civil War.

Answer 2

The government's aim of maintaining the balance between slave and free states was primarily driven by political and economic concerns. At the time, there was a growing divide between the Northern and Southern states over the issue of slavery. The North was predominantly anti-slavery, while the South was pro-slavery. As such, the government feared that allowing an imbalance in the number of free and slave states would tip the political scales in favor of one region over the other.

This would have significant economic and political implications, as the Southern states were heavily dependent on slavery for their agricultural economy, while the Northern states were becoming increasingly industrialized. The government also feared that an imbalance in the number of free and slave states would lead to tension and conflict between the regions, potentially leading to the breakup of the Union.

Thus, in order to maintain the delicate balance between the regions, the government sought to ensure that the number of free and slave states remained equal. This was achieved through a series of compromises, including the Missouri Compromise of 1820 and the Compromise of 1850, which sought to settle disputes over the admission of new states to the Union and the expansion of slavery into new territories.