* Economic interests: The southern economy was heavily dependent on slavery, and many southerners feared that banning slavery in Missouri would threaten their economic livelihood. Missouri was a border state between the North and the South, and its admission as a slave state would help to maintain the balance of power between the two regions. If Missouri were admitted as a free state, it would tip the balance in favor of the North and could eventually lead to the abolition of slavery in the entire country.
* Political power: Southerners also feared that banning slavery in Missouri would give the North too much political power. The addition of Missouri as a free state would give the North an extra vote in the Senate, and it could also make it more difficult for southerners to block legislation that they opposed.
* Racist beliefs: Many southerners believed that black people were inferior to white people and that slavery was necessary to maintain social order. They feared that if slavery were abolished, black people would become free and would compete with white people for jobs and resources.
These were just some of the reasons why southerners were against banning slavery in Missouri. The issue of slavery was deeply divisive in the United States, and it was one of the main causes of the Civil War.
