How does the allusion to the Missouri Compromise help explain Maycomb's attitude toward the Civil War?

The Missouri Compromise was an agreement passed in 1820. It was essentially a compromise between pro and anti slavery organizations within the United States congress. This compromise meant that Missouri could enter into the Union as a slave state. The legacy of this mentality is still strong in the book. Atticus knows it will be next to impossible to argue Tom's case because of the ingrained prejudice of the state but he has to try, "Just because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win."

The Missouri Compromise was an agreement passed in 1820. It was essentially a compromise between pro and anti slavery organizations within the United States congress. This compromise meant that Missouri could enter into the Union as a slave state. The legacy of this mentality is still strong in the book. Atticus knows it will be next to impossible to argue Tom's case because of the ingrained prejudice of the state but he has to try, "Just because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win."