Historical Note

"Missouri Compromise"

The Missouri Compromise is mentioned by Cousin Ike while he and Atticus are discussing the civil war, the Missouri Compromise is relevant because it is the line that divided the North and South and racial division is a large theme in this book. The Missouri Compromise was an agreement passed in 1820 between the pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in the United States Congress; the Compromise primarily involved the regulation of slavery in the western territories. It prohibited slavery in the former Louisiana Territory north of the parallel 36°30' north except within the boundaries of the proposed state of Missouri. Parallel 36°30' north, also known as the Missouri Compromise line, was the line that was used in the division of North America into north and south.
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