Question

1. prior to missouri’s entering the united states as a slave state and maine’s entering as a free state, how many slave and free states were there? why might this be significant?
2. how might settlement of the west have increased tension between northern and southern states?

Explanation:

For Question 2:

Before the Missouri Compromise (admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state), there were 11 free states and 11 slave states. This balance was significant because it ensured equal representation in the U.S. Senate between the pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions, preventing one side from having more power to pass legislation affecting slavery.

For Question 3:

Westward settlement raised tensions because northern and southern states fought over whether new western territories would allow slavery. The South wanted slave states to maintain political balance in Congress, while the North wanted free states to limit the spread of slavery. Additionally, competition over resources and economic systems (industrial in the North, agrarian/slave-based in the South) in western lands deepened these divides.

Answer:

1. There were 11 free states and 11 slave states. This was significant because it kept equal Senate representation between pro-slavery and anti-slavery groups, preventing one side from dominating slavery-related legislation.
2. Westward settlement increased tension by sparking fights over whether new western territories would allow slavery (to maintain congressional balance), and by creating competition over resources and conflicting economic systems between the North and South.