Answer:
Missouri's participation in the Civil War was ironic for several reasons:
Missouri was a border state that was divided in its loyalties. Although it was a slave state, it did not secede from the Union at the start of the war. Instead, it remained in the Union, but many of its citizens supported the Confederacy. This led to a lot of internal conflict and violence.
The governor of Missouri, Claiborne Fox Jackson, was a strong supporter of the Confederacy. However, the state's legislature was controlled by Unionists, which made it difficult for Jackson to secede from the Union.
Missouri had a significant role in the early years of the war, with several major battles taking place on its soil, including the Battle of Wilson's Creek and the Battle of Lexington. However, as the war progressed, Missouri's role became less significant, and it was largely overshadowed by the larger conflicts in the eastern and southern theaters of the war.
Overall, Missouri's participation in the war was ironic because it was a state that was torn between loyalty to the Union and sympathy for the Confederacy, which led to a lot of internal conflict and violence. Additionally, although it played a significant role in the early years of the war, it became less relevant as the conflict wore on.