What States' admission into the Union caused a controversy?
2 Answers
Missouri.
Explanation:
When Missouri applied for admission to the Union, the states were divided equally between slave states and free states, 11-11. Missouri applied to be admitted as a slave state, which would have upset the balance of power between the two forces.
The free states held that Congress had the right to legislate free or slave status of any states formed from the territories, which Congress controlled. The slave states held that any state admitted should have the same rights as the original states, and be able to decide for themselves whether they wanted to allow slavery or not.
The free-staters were afraid that if the slave states gained a majority then slavery would be entrenched for all time. The slave-staters were afraid that if the free states gained a majority then slavery would eventually be abolished.
The impasse ended in the Missouri Compromise of 1820, which allowed Missouri to enter as a slave state while Maine was admitted as a free state, thus maintaining the balance of power.
While this satisfied both sides at the time, it did nothing to resolve the underlying problem and only postponed the final conflict in the form of the Civil War which began in 1861.
Texas
Explanation:
Texas being admitted as a slave state threatened to undue the balance of power in the senate between slave and free states.
Also admitting Texas as a state was opposed on legal matters and matters of international relationships.
Texas legally was a Mexican territory in a state of rebellion against the Federal government of Mexico. Texas also was a declared independent nation, which had won its independence from Mexico.
Admitting Texas as a part of the United States was controversial especially in New England because it opened the United States to the possibility of war with Mexico. This possibility as feared lead to the reality of the Mexican American war.
Texas was admitted as a slave state opening up the southwest to the possibility of the extension of slavery all the way to California across the southwest. This was desired by the southern slave states and opposed by the northern free states.
