The fight to keep the balance between free and slave states in the country was at its climax in 1820. Senator Henry Clay, also known as the Great Compromiser, sought out a solution to keep the balance even. His solution, known as the Missouri Compromise or the Compromise of 1820, admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, making the count 16 free states and 16 slave states. Also, a line was et at the 36th latitude parallel which permitted slavery in the Louisiana Purchase lands south of that line, and slavery was illegal to the north of that line. The only exception to this was Missouri which lies above the Missouri Compromise line, but is a slave state. Both southerners and northerners were joyed about the balance of free and slave states, but Northerners were still unpleased that slavery was spreading into the rapidly growing west. Although southerners did not have slavery in all of the Louisiana Purchase land, they were excited about the western lands acquired from Mexico.