195th Anniversary of Maine's Admission to the Union March 15 -



Congress passed the Act on March 3, 1820, and President James Monroe signed it on the same day. U.S. Secretary of State John Quincy Adams (elected president of the United States in 1824) sent the Act to the State of Maine.



Before becoming a state, Maine was a district of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Maine brought pressure to become independent of Massachusetts and sought admission to the union as a "free" state, that is, one that rejected slavery.



Southern states objected, contending that admitting Maine would upset the political balance between free states and states that allowed slavery. Congress ultimately proposed admitting Maine as a free state and Missouri as a slave state. Although many Maine politicians objected, Congress approved the Missouri Compromise.



The resulting Act of Admission states that, as of March 15, 1820, "the State of Maine is hereby declared to be one of the United States of America, and admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the original States, in all respects whatever."



The full transcript of the Act is available online at http://maine.gov/sos/arc/meadmission.html. This and other historical documents are preserved at the Maine State Archives in Augusta; an image of the Act is available on the Archives' website and its Facebook page. On March 15, Maine will mark 195 years as one of the United States of America. The federal notification of the Act of Admission that made Maine part of the union is preserved at the Maine State Archives.Congress passed the Act on March 3, 1820, and President James Monroe signed it on the same day. U.S. Secretary of State John Quincy Adams (elected president of the United States in 1824) sent the Act to the State of Maine.Before becoming a state, Maine was a district of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Maine brought pressure to become independent of Massachusetts and sought admission to the union as a "free" state, that is, one that rejected slavery.Southern states objected, contending that admitting Maine would upset the political balance between free states and states that allowed slavery. Congress ultimately proposed admitting Maine as a free state and Missouri as a slave state. Although many Maine politicians objected, Congress approved the Missouri Compromise.The resulting Act of Admission states that, as of March 15, 1820, "the State of Maine is hereby declared to be one of the United States of America, and admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the original States, in all respects whatever."The full transcript of the Act is available online at http://maine.gov/sos/arc/meadmission.html. This and other historical documents are preserved at the Maine State Archives in Augusta; an image of the Act is available on the Archives' website and its Facebook page. Related Sites Maine's Act of Admission, online

Maine's Act of Admission, online

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