Missouri is a south-western state in the USA. Missouri was formed originally from the Louisiana cession. The country was first settled by the French in 1763. In 1805 the southern portion of the Louisiana country was organised as a territory under the name of Orleans, and the northern portion under that of Louisiana. When Louisiana was admitted as a State, in 1812, the northern portion was called Missouri Territory. In 1817 Missouri asked leave of Congress to frame a State Constitution. This was the cause of a fierce contest in Congress over the question of the existence of slavery in Missouri, which was settled by the famous compromise in 1820 of Henry Clay - known as the Missouri Compromise. This provided for the admission of Missouri as a slave State, but that in future slavery should be prohibited in all territory forming part of the Louisiana cession north of 36 degrees 30 minutes.
Missouri adopted a State Constitution in July, 1820, which established slavery and forbade the immigration into the State of free negroes. This negro clause led to another contest in Congress, and another compromise, whereby Missouri was admitted to the Union on August the 10th, 1821.
An unsuccessful attempt was made by the State officers to make an armed rebellion against the Union, and they were forced to flee from the State. The powers of government were then assumed by the convention, which, in 1863, passed an ordinance of gradual abolition of slavery. In 1864 Abraham Lincoln carried the State. During the American Civil War it decided upon neutrality, but was invaded by both the Conferedate and Union forces. The population of the State in 1831 was just 66,586; in 1890, it had grown to 3,679,184.
Abbreviations
Gazetteer
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