June 7, 1836
Missouri adds land with the Platte Purchase. Senator Thomas Hart Benton’s proposal for acquisition included all the lands from the existing boundaries to the eastern bank of the Missouri River. When the deal was approved the following year by President Martin Van Buren, it added 3,149 square miles to Missouri’s northwest corner.
Based upon content from the book Missouri 365: This Day in Missouri History by John W. Brown, broadcaster and Missouri historian. Get your copy at Reedy Press.
Image—Public Domain—https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1686814
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The Platte Purchase added St. Joseph and the northwestern corner of Missouri to the original state which had a straight line for its western border. The bill to approve the purchase was introduced by Missouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton.