What did the Talmadge Amendment propose?

The Talmadge Amendment proposed a gradual abolition of slavery in Missouri. This amendment, introduced by Representative James Talmadge Jr. in 1819, was part of the contentious debate surrounding Missouri's application for statehood. Talmadge's proposal aimed to limit the spread of slavery into the new state by allowing for the gradual emancipation of enslaved individuals born in Missouri after it became a state, thus seeking to balance the interests of both pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions at a time of increasing division over the issue of slavery in the United States. This approach was deemed more palatable to some lawmakers than immediate emancipation or complete abolition, which would have been much more radical in that historical context.