What did the Missouri Compromise address?

The Missouri Compromise primarily addressed the regulation of slavery in the western territories of the United States. Enacted in 1820, it was a legislative agreement that aimed to balance the interests of free and slave states as the nation expanded westward. The compromise allowed Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state while Maine was admitted as a free state, maintaining a balance in the Senate. Additionally, it established a boundary at latitude 36°30′ north, north of which slavery was prohibited in the territories acquired from the Louisiana Purchase, except for Missouri.

The other options do not accurately represent the focus of the Missouri Compromise. For example, it did not grant citizenship to African Americans, as citizenship was not addressed until later, especially with the 14th Amendment. While the Compromise did create a clear delineation of free and slave areas, describing it simply as dividing the country into free and slave states does not capture the complexity and specific provisions aimed at regulating slavery in adopted territories. Likewise, the Missouri Compromise did not establish the abolition of slavery; that movement gained traction later and culminated in the Civil War and the eventual adoption of the 13th Amendment.