Final answer:
The Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850 were attempts to balance the number of pro-slavery and anti-slavery states in the U.S. However, both compromises led to more tension and conflict over the issue of slavery, leading eventually to the American Civil War.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Missouri Compromise of 1820 and the Compromise of 1850 were both attempts to maintain a balance between pro-slavery and anti-slavery states in the United States. However, instead of permanently solving the issues, they actually led to further tensions and conflict.
The Missouri Compromise admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, maintaining the balance of power in the Senate. It also prohibited slavery in any new territories or states north of 36°30′ latitude and within the Louisiana Territory, an action which caused controversy and conflict.
The Compromise of 1850 was an attempt to address the issue of slavery in the territories acquired during the Mexican-American War. It admitted California as a free state, enforced a new, stricter Fugitive Slave Act, and allowed New Mexico and Utah the choice whether to allow slavery, a decision known as popular sovereignty. This compromise added to the tensions between the North and the South, contributing to the start of the American Civil War.
Learn more about Compromises on Slavery