
What is the history of the Missouri region?
The recorded history of the Missouri region dates from the settlement of some French lead miners and hunters at Sainte Genevieve, on the western bank of the Mississippi River, about 1735. Although it has moved some distance from its original site, Sainte Genevieve remains the oldest continuously inhabited white settlement in present-day Missouri.
What is the oldest settlement in Missouri?
Although it has moved some distance from its original site, Sainte Genevieve remains the oldest continuously inhabited white settlement in present-day Missouri. Some 30 years later, Pierre Laclède Liguest, a French fur trader from New Orleans, founded St. Louis.
Where did the French settle in Missouri?
French settlers remained on the east bank of the Mississippi at Kaskaskia and Fort de Chartres until 1750, when the new settlement of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri was constructed. Though in present day Missouri, the settlement at Ste. Genevieve was still thought of as part of the Illinois Country.
What was the third major settlement in Missouri?
A third major settlement was established in 1769, when Louis Blanchette, a Canadian trader, set up a trading post on the northwest bank of the Missouri River, which eventually grew into the town of St. Charles. Local administrators of Ste. Genevieve also were Spaniards, but frequently were forced to acquiesce to local customs.

When was Missouri settled?
July 4, 1776Missouri / Date settled
Who was the first person to live in Missouri?
The history of Missouri begins with settlement of the region by indigenous people during the Paleo-Indian period beginning in about 12,000 BC. Subsequent periods of native life emerged until the 17th century.
Whats the oldest town in Missouri?
Ste. GenevieveThe beautiful Ste. Genevieve is Missouri's oldest town. It was founded by French Canadian colonists and settlers from the east in 1735, and was the first organized European settlement west of the Mississippi River.
What is the oldest house in Missouri?
You'll find Missouri's oldest building in the state's oldest permanent European settlement, Sainte Genevieve, which is named for the patron saint of Paris. Built around 1792, the Louis Bolduc House was the residence of the eponymous Canadian-born lead miner, planter, and merchant.
How old is Missouri?
Missouri 200th Anniversary of Statehood (1821): August 10, 2021.
How did Missouri get its name?
The word "Missouri" often has been construed to mean "muddy water" but the Smithsonian Institution Bureau of American Ethnology has stated it means "town of the large canoes," and authorities have said the Indian syllables from which the word comes mean "wooden canoe people" or "he of the big canoe."
Where did Missouri settlers come from?
The settlers coming to Missouri after 1803 were mostly native born Americans. In the early years they came from states adjacent to Missouri on the east--- Kentucky, Tennessee and Illinois. Colonel Morgan's colony at New Madrid in 1788 from Kentucky was the first distinctly American settlement.
How old is Missouri State?
Missouri State UniversityFormer namesFourth District Normal School (1905–1919) Southwest Missouri State Teachers College (1919–1945) Southwest Missouri State College (1945–1972) Southwest Missouri State University (1972–2005)Established1905Endowment$170.3 millionPresidentClifton M. Smart IIIProvostFrank A. Einhellig13 more rows
What were the effects of the French influence on the Osage people?
Although interactions were generally positive between them, the introduction of diseases, alcohol, and firearms proved detrimental to traditional lifestyles and cultures. The increased dependence on European goods altered cultural patterns of craft production, and an increased emphasis on hunting due to commercialism changed Osage marriage patterns. Younger Osage hunters who had achieved wealth from trade sought to increase their power in Osage society, and they at various times challenged the established political order of tribal elders. Although both the Osage and the Missouri were exposed to European diseases such as smallpox and typhus, the Osage suffered only slightly compared to the Missouri, who were drastically reduced in population.
What led French settlers to decamp for Missouri?
Concern about living under British rule led many French settlers to decamp for Missouri, especially with encouragement from Laclede; upon the arrival of the British at Fort de Chartres in October 1765,. St. Ange was the interim commander of the entire upper Louisiana region until 1767. Early settlements in Missouri.
What happened to the French and Indian War?
Shortly after the founding of Ste. Genevieve, disputes between France and England over control of the Ohio Valley resulted in the outbreak of the French and Indian War in 1754. The British won and France lost all of its holdings. France gave Spain control of Louisiana in November 1762 in the Treaty of Fontainebleau. About 1000 French settlers lived in Missouri, in small farming villages stretched out along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers.
How did the Missourians travel?
Most Missourians traveled longer distances by water, and large cargo was transported by bateaux (shown above). By 1800, the population of Upper Louisiana was primarily concentrated in a few settlements along the Mississippi in present-day Missouri. Travel between towns was by the river.
How did the Spanish influence the Missouri colony?
With little return on their investment of time and money in the colony, the Spanish negotiated the return of Louisiana, including Missouri, to France in 1800, which was codified in the Treaty of San Ildefonso.
What is the history of Missouri?
The Colonial history of Missouri covers the French and Spanish exploration and colonization: 1673–1803, and ends with the American takeover through the Louisiana Purchase.
Why did Spain decamp from Illinois to Missouri?
To reduce the influence of British traders, Spain renewed efforts to encourage French settlers to decamp from Illinois to Missouri, and in 1778, the Spanish granted land and basic supplies to Catholic immigrants to Missouri; however, few settlers actually took up the offers to move to the region.
Where did the first white people settle in Missouri?
The recorded history of the Missouri region dates from the settlement of some French lead miners and hunters at Sainte Genevieve, on the western bank of the Mississippi River, about 1735. Although it has moved some distance from its original site, Sainte Genevieve remains the oldest continuously inhabited white settlement in present-day Missouri. Some 30 years later, Pierre Laclède Liguest, a French fur trader from New Orleans, founded St. Louis. At the time of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, most of the roughly 10,000 residents of the region were French settlers from the Illinois country. However, a small portion of the region’s white population had come from Kentucky and Tennessee, which, with Virginia, became the major immediate sources of settlers through the first half of the 19th century.
What was Missouri's position as a land of passage?
Statehood, controversy, and war. The “pull of the West” solidified Missouri’s position as a land of passage after it achieved statehood in 1821. Migrants bound for Texas outfitted in Missouri, and later thousands of people heading west poured through St. Joseph, Independence, Westport Landing, and the City of Kansas ( Kansas City ).
What were the changes in Missouri in the 21st century?
By the early 21st century, rural areas of Missouri had attracted many new production plants that employed a small number of workers, while the bulk of the manufacturing employment remained concentrated in the St. Louis and Kansas City metropolitan areas. Meanwhile, small towns had changed radically, their economic development depending to a large degree on geography and transportation. Towns near large cities had been absorbed into metropolitan areas with the ever-expanding infrastructure of the commuting zone, while many smaller villages approached economic stagnation as the rural population declined and the remaining residents shifted their commercial support to the larger towns. In the vicinity of the large Ozark lakes, however, many new towns emerged and once-struggling towns reawakened, primarily to serve a growing population of retirees.
What was Missouri's economy like in the late 19th and early 20th centuries?
The continued growth of Missouri in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was celebrated in the famous St. Louis Exposition in 1904. The state remained heavily rural and agricultural, however, until the Great Depression of the 1930s and World War II (1939–45) brought about vast movements of people into the cities. After World War II three important developments shaped the economy of Missouri: the shift from agriculture, mining, and lumbering to manufacturing, particularly of durable goods, and services; large investments in public and social services, highways, and rural electrification; and population growth, particularly near the large reservoirs and in the peripheries of St. Louis, Kansas City, and Springfield.
What tribes lived in Missouri?
The state took the name of the most prominent local tribe of this group, the Missouri. The Plains Indian lived in the western part of the state. Peoples such as the Osage and Quapaw resided in the region’s river valleys and lived very similarly to their eastern counterparts.
What was the most important prehistoric city in the United States?
The most prominent ancient society was the Mississippian culture, known for its effigy and burial mounds at Cahokia, the largest prehistoric city in what is now the United States.
Why were the Mormons enacted in Missouri?
Laws were enacted to prohibit the teaching of reading and writing to black residents and to prevent free black people from entering the state.
What is the significance of Missouri's region?
Missouri’s regions reflect the ethnic, religious, and political persuasions of the residents. The Bootheel in the extreme southeast was settled by planters from the South and was appended to Missouri at the time of statehood through the great influence of one planter; it is the centre of Missouri’s historic cotton culture.
What is Missouri's manufacturing industry?
Although agriculture has remained an important component of Missouri’s economy, the manufacturing and service sectors have since the mid-20th century grown to become the major contributors to the state’s gross product. After World War II there was a notable shift in the emphasis of Missouri’s manufacturing activity from nondurable to durable goods. The production of shoes and clothing, for instance, declined, while metal fabrication and the manufacture of plastics and machinery increased. By the early 21st century Missouri ranked among the top states in the country in some types of manufacturing, particularly the production of aerospace and transportation equipment—including automobile assembly.
What are the crops in Missouri?
Since that time, farmers have diversified their agricultural activities. Soybeans became the state’s most valuable crop, followed by hay, corn (maize), wheat, sorghum, cotton, and rice. Small acreages of tobacco continue to be planted in the northwestern part of the state. Hay is the leading product of the Ozark region, where it supports a growing feeder cattle industry. More than half of Missouri’s total farm income derives from the sale of animals and animal products, mainly cattle, hogs, poultry, and dairy products. Dairying is concentrated in the state’s southwestern region.
What is Missouri known for?
By the early 21st century Missouri ranked among the top states in the country in some types of manufacturing, particularly the production of aerospace and transportation equipment —including automobile assembly.
Why are wood chip mills so controversial?
The introduction of large wood-chip mills in the area since the late 20th century stirred great controversy, because those mills are capable of stripping thousands of acres of forestland in a relatively short time span, greatly modifying wildlife habitats, patterns of water runoff, and the rate of soil erosion.
Where is Boone's Lick Country?
In the centre of the state, around Boonville and Columbia, is the “Boone’s Lick Country,” where the frontiersman Daniel Boone and his sons moved from Kentucky to hunt and trap game and to make salt. Urban areas continued to expand, ultimately reducing the amount of agricultural land.
Where are some examples of antebellum residences?
South of Little Dixie, on the bluffs and uplands south of the Missouri River and west of St. Louis, is a concentration of German settlements, known locally as the “Missouri Rhineland.”.
Who discovered Missouri?
It was not until 1673, when Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet (who are most often credited with the discovery of Missouri) sailed down the Mississippi River in canoes along the area that would later become Missouri. The two established that the Mississippi River ran all the way to the sea. In 1682, Robert de LaSalle claimed the Louisiana Territory for France (“New France” or Louisiana, was named to honor Louis XIV). In addition to present day Missouri, the territory included all or part of present-day Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, Idaho. Soon French settlers were establishing trading posts and forts in the new territory. During the early years of French occupation, trade with the Indians was the only major industry.
When was the first white settlement in Louisiana?
In 1750, the first white settlers founded nearby Ste. Genevieve as the first permanent white settlement in “upper Louisiana” (although there are some reports that Ste. Genevieve was founded as early as 1732-1734).
What was the name of the state that was renamed after Louisiana became a state?
After Louisiana became a state in 1812, the remaining Upper Louisiana Territory was renamed the Missouri Territory and was divided in to five original counties. Our present Iron and Reynolds counties were considered a part of the new county of Ste.Genevieve in the new Missouri Territory. In 1818 the first Missouri Constitution was drafted and in the same year, a request was made for admittance to the Union as a slave state. After a national controversy due to the delicate balance between free and slave states, Missouri was admitted as the 24th state in the Union in 1821.
What is Missouri's nickname?
Missouri’s other nickname is the “Show Me” state.
Where did the first black slaves come from?
In the same year, the Frenchman Phillippe François Renault brought the first black slaves (from Haiti) to Missouri to work in lead mining. William Henry Pulsifer, in his book “Notes ...
When did the French start mining for lead?
William Henry Pulsifer, in his book “Notes for a History of Lead”, published in 1888, indicated that the French, in search of silver, began lead mining as early as 1723 in Mine La Motte, and in Potosi shortly thereafter. Both, are just beyond our Arcadia Valley Region.
When did Spain take control of Louisiana?
It was a confusing time for these early settlers because in 1762, Spain gained control of the Louisiana Territory in the Treaty of Fontainebleau, but did not “officially assume control of the territory until 1770”.
What was the first capital of Missouri?
St. Charles served as the first Missouri capital from 1821 to 1826, while the new city and capital (Jefferson City) was being built. It received the honor by beating out eight other cities. The first capitol building is located about a block from the Missouri River on Main Street.
What is the oldest town in Missouri?
The beautiful Ste. Genevieve is Missouri’s oldest town. It was founded by French Canadian colonists and settlers from the east in 1735, and was the first organized European settlement west of the Mississippi River.
What river was Missouri on?
The city was developed along the western bank of the Mississippi River and claimed first by the French but later lost to Spain. Missouri was part of Spanish Louisiana from 1762 until 1803, and acquired by the United States in the Louisiana Purchase.
When was the first cemetery in Missouri opened?
Established in 1787, the Memorial Cemetery in Ste. Genevieve is Missouri’s oldest cemetery. Over 3,500 people were buried here before it was closed in 1880, including the tombs and grave markers of the area’s earliest French pioneers.
When was the Louis Bolduc house built?
Built in 1792, The Louis Bolduc House is one of the oldest structures in St. Genevieve. It is a rebuilt structure from an original 1770 house that was damaged by a flood. He moved the remaining building materials to its current location and built the larger house. Wikimedia/ By Andrew Balet - Own work, CC BY 2.5.
When did France sell Louisiana?
After being traded to France in 1800, France promptly sold it to the United States in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase. Wikimedia/ By Mariano Salvador Maella - http://www.bernardodegalvez.eu/retrato-de-bernardo-de-galvez/, Public Domain. Governor Bernardo de Gálvez.
Who owned the Louisiana Purchase?
It was partially owned by the Spanish and then the French before the United States obtained it as part of the Louisiana Purchase. It was admitted as the 24th state in 1821, but its oldest cities were created in the century before. Our five oldest cities preserve the great history of our land before it was even ours.
Who discovered Missouri?
1673 - First Europeans, Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet, discovered the land that would later become Missouri were were the during their voyage down the Mississippi River. 1750 - St Genevieve established a trading post, the first permanent white settlement.
What were the names of the Missouri tribes?
The names of the Missouri tribes included the Caddo, Dakota, Delaware, Fox, Il linois, Iowa, Kickapoo, Missouri, Omaha, Osage (see above picture), Otoe, Sauk and Shawnee.
When were fluted points discovered?
Paleoindian Period (12,000 - 8,000 BC) - This time period is associated with a specific variety of hunting tool called a fluted point; in Missouri, Clovis fluted points and Folsom fluted points have been discovered at a variety of sites. Clovis points were found at the Kimmswick site (Mastodon State Historic site) directly associated ...
What was the largest mound built in the 1300s?
1300's - Mound builders: Largest mound built was Cahokia. This civilization spread over both sides of the Mississippi River.
What was the Mississippian period?
Mississippian Period (AD 900-AD 1700) - This time period is marked by large permanent villages where populations relied upon corn cultivation for a major component in their diet. A handful of the villages grew in population and wealth until they became large, fortified towns with impressive temple mounds, plazas, and astronomical observatories.
What is early history?
Early history examines the archaeological record that tells the story of the first inhabitants of Missouri. Learn about the history and culture of the first inhabitants, and what lessons it might teach us about the early history of Missouri.
Where is the oldest burial mound in Missouri?
The Hatten mound, constructed in northeast Missouri during the Late Archaic, is the oldest documented burial mound in the state. Different burial patterns and variations in stone tools reflect three or four distinct tribes distributed across the state.
What was the Missouri compromise?
The Missouri Compromise granted Maine entrance into the Union as a free state while allowing Missouri permission to enter without restrictions on slavery.
What is the largest state in New England?
Maine, the largest of the six New England states, lies at the northeastern corner of the country. Maine became the 23rd state on March 15, 1820, as part of the Missouri Compromise, which allowed Missouri to enter the union as a slave state and Maine as a free state. Maine is ...read more
What is the show me state?
Located on the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, the state was an important hub of transportation and commerce in early America, and the Gateway Arch in St. Louis is a monument to Missouri’s role as the “Gateway to the West.” St. Louis, Missouri, is home to the Anheuser-Busch, the maker of Budweiser beer, and boasts the largest beer-producing plant in the country.
How long did it take Charles Lindbergh to fly from Long Island to Paris?
Charles Lindbergh’s flight from Long Island to Paris May 20-21, 1927, took 33 and one half hours to complete and was the first nonstop solo transatlantic flight in history. Named The Spirit of St. Louis in recognition of the St. Louis, Missouri, businessmen who funded its construction, Lindbergh’s single-engine plane had a 46-foot wingspan and weighed 2,150 pounds when empty.
What are the four corners of Utah?
Mountains, high plateaus and deserts form most of Utah’s landscape. At Four Corners, in the southeast, Utah meets Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona at right angles, the only such meeting of states in the country. Utah became the 45th member of the union on Jan. 4, 1896, with Salt ...read more
How many miles is Rhode Island?
Rhode Island, measuring only about 48 miles long and 37 miles wide, is the smallest of the U.S. states. Despite its small area, Rhode Island, known as the “Ocean State,” boasts over 400 miles of coastline. Rhode Island was founded by Roger Williams in 1636, who had been banished ...read more
How long did it take to fly from Long Island to Paris?
Charles Lindbergh’s flight from Long Island to Paris May 20-21, 1927, took 33 and one half hours to complete and was the first nonstop solo transatlantic flight in history.
How We Determined When A City Was Founded In Missouri… Or Is It Settled?
Put differently, there’s no official data set from the Census that contains when every place in America was founded.
How old was Liberty when he became the matriarch of Missouri?
We then ranked them from oldest to newest with Liberty turning out to be the matriarch of Missouri at the ripe old age of 189.
When was New Mexico founded?
Population: 11,528#N#Founded: 1855#N#Age: 163#N#Mexico was laid out as ‘New Mexico’ in 1836 and was a major stop for settlers heading to the Republic of Texas (thus the name ‘New Mexico’), and it became the county seat under its present name in 1837. The word ‘New’ was dropped out after the Mexican War that saw Texas become a part of the United States.

Overview
French settlement and government
During the 1710s, the French government again began to pursue a course of increased development of Louisiana. In August 1717, King Louis XV accepted the offer of Scottish financier John Law to create a joint stock company to manage colonial growth. Law's Mississippi Company (renamed the Company of the West in 1717 upon receiving its charter) was given a monopoly on all trade, ownersh…
Early explorations and indigenous peoples
In May 1673, Jesuit priest Jacques Marquette and French trader Louis Jolliet sailed down the Mississippi River in canoes along the area that would later become the state of Missouri. The earliest recorded use of "Missouri" is found on a map drawn by Marquette after his 1673 journey, naming both a group of Native Americans and a nearby river. However, the French rarely used the word to refe…
Spanish period 1762–1803
Shortly after the founding of Ste. Genevieve, disputes between France and England over control of the Ohio Valley resulted in the outbreak of the French and Indian War in 1754. The British won and France lost all of its holdings. France gave Spain control of Louisiana in November 1762 in the Treaty of Fontainebleau. About 1000 French settlers lived in Missouri, in small farming …
Spanish rule
The first Spanish military commander, Captain Francisco Ríu y Morales, 1767–68, proved incompetent. Many of his soldiers grumbled and others deserted; rations ran short; he had trouble hiring laborers. Antonio de Ulloa, the first Spanish governor of Louisiana, was based in New Orleans, and he removed Ríu y Morales. The next rulers proved more confident, but even so, Spain was stretched to the limits in its ability to govern the vast region.
Competition with the British
Local administrators of Ste. Genevieve also were Spaniards, but frequently were forced to acquiesce to local customs. Throughout the 1770s, Spanish officials were forced to contend not only with the wishes of their predominantly French populations, but also with repeated incursions from British traders and hostile indigenous tribes. Furthermore, American settlers were starting to arrive.
Social life in Spanish Missouri
Religion in Spanish Missouri was a strong element of cultural life, and the Catholic Church had been a significant part of life among the colonists since the earliest settlements. Although the Jesuits were the primary religious authority in the region, the French expelled the order in 1763 due to its growing wealth and power. Combined with the expulsion of the Jesuits, the transfer of the colony to Spain also caused a shortage of priests, as French priests under Canadian jurisdiction …
See also
• List of commandants of the Illinois Country
• History of the Midwestern United States
• Timeline of St. Louis
• Timeline of Missouri