Missouri State History Facts
Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States.
Six million people live in Missouri.
The capital of Missouri is Jefferson City. Missouri borders Illinois, Iowa, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Kansas and Nebraska.
Related: Missouri State Facts
Missouri was named after the river, which was named by the Missouri Native Americans.
History
Archaeology tells us that people have lived along the rivers of Missouri for more than 7,000 years.
There are many prehistoric mounds. St Louis, a city in Missouri, was once known as Mound City because there were so many mounds.
The first settlers in the area were French Canadians who had migrated from Illinois.
The city of St Louis was founded in 1764 by Pierre Laclede. The Spanish arrived and occupied St Louis is 1767.
St Louis was very important in the fur trade between Native Americans and settlers.
Napoleon Bonaparte took Louisiana for French ownership from Spain in 1800 in the Treaty of San Ildefonso.
This was kept a secret until 1803, when the French official came under control of France.
However, just three weeks later, it came under the control of the United States.
Many African American people were enslaved and brought to Missouri to work on plantations.
In 1821, Missouri was admitted as a slave state. That meant that slavery was legal in that state.
Many Mormons moved to Missouri and lots of conflict about religion and slavery took place. In 1838, the Mormon War started.
The Mormon War – or the Missouri Mormon War – was a conflict between Mormons and non-Mormons. The Mormons were forced to sign over all their lands in Missouri.
Missouri’s population between 1830 and 1860 almost doubled every ten years. This was because many people migrated there.
Many migrants were from other areas of America but some were German and Irish.
Famous people
Missouri is the home of the author Mark Twain. Mark Twain was most famous for writing The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Missouri is the home of the author Mark Twain. Mark Twain was most famous for writing The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
These are adventures stories about two young boys and they are set in Missouri.
Other famous authors are T.S. Elliot and Tennessee Williams.
Walt Disney also spent part of his childhood in Missouri.
Later in life, he founded the Laugh-O-Gram Studio in Kansas City.
Quiz Time!
QUESTIONS
What is Missouri named after?
Where is Missouri?
When was the Mormon War?
Which famous film maker spent part of his childhood here?
Where was this film maker’s first studio?
