What did the Missouri Compromise attempt to address?

The Missouri Compromise was primarily focused on addressing the balance of power between slave and free states in the United States. Enacted in 1820, it was a pivotal moment in the lead-up to the Civil War, as it sought to maintain an equal number of states that permitted slavery and those that did not. This compromise allowed Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state while simultaneously admitting Maine as a free state. Additionally, it established a geographical boundary (the latitude line of 36°30′ north) that prohibited slavery in territories north of this line, thereby attempting to ease tensions between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions. The key issue was the contentious debate over whether new states admitted into the Union would be slave states or free states, which directly influenced political power and representation in Congress.