Bicentennial Series: The Struggle for Statehood
A historian digs a little deeper into our bicentennial date to figure out if we've actually been celebrating our statehood during the wrong month, and year.
Two Centuries Ago We Began the Long Journey to Statehood
Finally, on December 18, 1818, Congress heard the petition again. This marked the beginning of a long, slow grind toward eventual statehood in 1821. Between 1818 and 1821, the question of Missouri’s status was mired in a contentious debate over slavery.