What was the problem the the Missouri compromise tried to solve?

The Missouri Compromise aimed to address the contentious issue of slavery's expansion into newly acquired territories in the United States. Specifically, it sought to balance the power between free and slave states by admitting Missouri as a slave state while simultaneously admitting Maine as a free state. Additionally, the compromise established the 36°30' parallel as a boundary, prohibiting slavery in territories north of this line, except for Missouri. This was an attempt to reduce sectional tensions between the North and South over the issue of slavery.