Question

what would have happened if missouri had joined the union as a slave state?
states in the north would have been forced to legalize slavery.
no other territory would have been granted statehood.
the balance of power in congress would have shifted.
there would have been fewer slave states than free states.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• "States in the North would have been forced to legalize slavery" is incorrect. The North's stance on slavery was different, and Missouri joining as a slave state wouldn't force Northern states to legalize it.
• "No other territory would have been granted statehood" is wrong. There's no basis for this; other territories could still seek statehood.
• "The balance of power in Congress would have shifted" is correct. Before the Missouri Compromise, there was a balance between slave and free states in Congress. If Missouri joined as a slave state without a corresponding free state, the balance (number of senators/representation) would shift in favor of slave states.
• "There would have been fewer slave states than free states" is incorrect. At the time, the number of slave and free states was relatively balanced, and adding Missouri as a slave state would likely increase slave states' count or at least not make them fewer.

Answer:

C. The balance of power in Congress would have shifted.