What senator Thomas and representative clay were trying to get congress and Missouri to do

The reference to "Senator Thomas" and "Representative Clay" likely pertains to the Missouri Compromise of 1820, and the individuals involved are Senator James Thomas of Illinois and Representative Henry Clay of Kentucky.

The Missouri Compromise aimed to address the issue of slavery as the United States expanded westward. Here's a summary of their efforts:

1. Admission of Missouri:

  - Missouri sought admission to the Union as a slave state.

  - Senator Thomas and Representative Clay were key figures in brokering a compromise to allow Missouri's admission while maintaining a balance between slave and free states.

2. Maine's Admission as a Free State:

  - To preserve the balance, Maine was admitted as a free state, ensuring an equal number of slave and free states.

3. 36°30' Line:

  - The compromise included a provision that prohibited slavery in new territories formed from the Louisiana Purchase north of the 36°30' parallel.

Senator Thomas and Representative Clay played crucial roles in mediating this compromise, which was an attempt to ease sectional tensions and maintain a delicate equilibrium between slave and free states in the expanding United States. The Missouri Compromise was a temporary solution to the issue of slavery but foreshadowed the more profound conflicts that would arise in the following decades leading up to the Civil War.