Indigenous peoples inhabited Missouri for thousands of years before European exploration and settlement. Archaeological excavations along the rivers have shown continuous habitation … See more

Territorial government and the War of 1812
Although Napoleon and France took de jure control of Spanish Missouri in 1800, the transfer remained secret; Spanish officials continued to govern the European settlements on the west bank of the Mississippi … See more

The population of the Mississippi River region served by St Louis increased rapidly to about 4 million people in 1860. With railroads just … See more

Economic growth during the 1920s
The Hall brothers, Joyce, Rollie, and William, emerged from poverty in Nebraska in the 1900s by opening a bookstore. When … See more

In May 1673 the French Jesuit priest Jacques Marquette and French trader Louis Jolliet paddled down the Mississippi River in … See more

The Missouri economy grew steadily from the end of the war to the early 20th century. Railroads replaced the rivers, trains supplanted … See more

Politics after the war
After the war Republicans gained strength in the state, although Missourians voted for Democratic … See more