The Missouri Compromise ________________

The Missouri Compromise was indeed an attempt to maintain a balance between slave states and free states in the United States during a critical period of American history. Proposed in 1820, the Compromise came about as a response to the application of Missouri for statehood, which raised concerns about the expansion of slavery into new territories.

To keep the political balance, the agreement allowed Missouri to enter as a slave state while Maine was admitted as a free state, ensuring that there was still an equal number of states with and without slavery. Additionally, the Compromise established a geographic boundary (the southern border of Missouri) that set the limit for the expansion of slavery in future states and territories north of that line.

The other options are not relevant to the core purpose of the Missouri Compromise. It did not mark the end of the war with Mexico nor was it an event that went unnoticed by politicians; in fact, it was a highly debated and significant political issue of the time. Also, while the Compromise did have long-lasting effects, its relevant provisions were effectively nullified by the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, ending its influence well before the 50-year mark.