What did the Missouri compromise want?

The Missouri Compromise, enacted in 1820, aimed to maintain the balance between free and slave states in the United States as new territories were being added. It allowed Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state while Maine was admitted as a free state, preserving the equilibrium. Additionally, it established a geographical boundary (the 36°30′ parallel) across the Louisiana Territory, north of which slavery was prohibited, except in Missouri. This compromise was an early attempt to address the contentious issue of slavery in expanding territories.