Question 40

The Missouri Compromise of 1820 temporarily settled issues related to the Louisiana Purchase.

The Missouri Compromise addressed the balance of power between slave and free states that arose from the expansion of territories acquired through the Louisiana Purchase.

A) The Gadsden Purchase

The Gadsden Purchase, made in 1853, involved land acquired from Mexico to facilitate a southern transcontinental railroad and is not related to the Missouri Compromise. Therefore, this choice is incorrect as the issues surrounding it were not addressed by the Missouri Compromise.

B) The Northwest Ordinance

The Northwest Ordinance, enacted in 1787, established a framework for governing the Northwest Territory but predates the Missouri Compromise. It did not directly influence the slavery debate arising from the territories acquired in the Louisiana Purchase, making this option incorrect.

C) The Mexican Cession

The Mexican Cession occurred after the Mexican-American War in 1848 and involved significant territorial gains for the United States, including California and New Mexico. This event is historically separate from the Missouri Compromise, which dealt specifically with the implications of the Louisiana Purchase, thus rendering this option incorrect.

D) The Louisiana Purchase

The Missouri Compromise was directly related to the Louisiana Purchase, as it was aimed at resolving conflicts over slavery in the new territories acquired from France in 1803. This compromise allowed Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state while Maine entered as a free state, maintaining the balance of power between free and slave states in this newly acquired territory.

Conclusion

The Missouri Compromise effectively addressed the growing tensions over slavery in the territories gained through the Louisiana Purchase, making option D the correct answer. The other options are unrelated to the context of the Missouri Compromise, each pertaining to different historical events and timelines.