What significant legislative compromise addressed the sectional tensions over state admission regarding slavery?

The Missouri Compromise is recognized as a significant legislative agreement that aimed to ease the sectional tensions between the North and the South over the expansion of slavery into new states. Enacted in 1820, this compromise allowed Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state while simultaneously admitting Maine as a free state, maintaining the balance of power between free and slave states in Congress.

Additionally, the compromise drew an imaginary line across the Louisiana Territory at the latitude of 36°30′. This line determined that all states admitted north of this line would be free states, while those south could be slave states. This legislative action was crucial in temporarily diffusing tensions and setting a precedent for how the nation would handle the contentious issue of slavery in new states. Understanding the Missouri Compromise helps illustrate the early legislative attempts to resolve the conflicts arising from America's divisive views on slavery and expansion.