The Missouri Compromise and the Birth of the State of Maine

On this date in 1819 Congress passed the “Missouri Compromise” which in effect created the state of Maine.

Prior to 1820 – Maine was part of Massachusetts (with all of the New England coastline being part of Massachusetts from Canada down to Rhode Island). The Missouri Compromise admitted Missouri as a “slave state” which meant that there were then 11 slave states and 10 free states. Maine was broken off from Massachusetts and admitted as a free state to even things off (although it should be noted that the people living in Maine had applied for statehood separately from the issue of Missouri and were heading towards statehood no matter what).

The coast towns of New Hampshire were established as part of New Hampshire as a result of an agreement with Massachusetts just prior to Maine being admitted as a state. Those towns like Hampton and Portsmouth were part of a boundary squabble between Maine and New Hampshire that has long since been forgotten.