The Missouri Compromise debate illustrated that northern politicians did not want slavery to expand for primarily moral reasons.

Missouri Compromise

An agreement passed in 1820 between the pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in the United States Congress, involving primarily the regulation of slavery in the western territories, admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state.

Northern Politicians

Elected or appointed officials representing the interests of the northern region in a country, often with political agendas distinct from those in southern areas.