4-25 The State of Missouri

The great state of Missouri became the 24^th state in the Union on August 10, 1821.  The capital is Jefferson City.  Missouri was named for an Algonquian Indian word that means "river of the big canoes."

In 1682, explorer Robert Cavalier, Sieur de La Salle, took possession of the Louisiana Territory area for France.  Spain gained control of the Louisiana Territory in the Treaty of Fontainebleau in 1762 and later returned the territory to France in 1800.  The Louisiana Purchase gave the territory to the United States in 1803.  In 1804, the Lewis and Clark Expedition set out from St. Louis.  In 1805, the Territory of Louisiana was established and its seat of government was St. Louis.  In 1812, a portion of the Territory of Louisiana became the Territory of Missouri.  In 1820, the "Missouri Compromise" allowed Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state and Maine as a free state, thus keeping the balance of slave and free states equal in Congress.

Emblem/Symbol	Name of Emblem/Symbol	Adopted
Motto	"Salus populi suprema lex esto " - The welfare of the people shall be the supreme law
Nickname	The Show Me State
State Seal		1822
State Bird	Bluebird	1927
State Floral Emblem	Hawthorn Blossom	1923
State Song	"Missouri Waltz"	1949
State Tree	Flowering Dogwood	1955
State Flag		1913
State Insect	Honeybee	1985
State Fish	Channel Catfish	1997
State Animal	Missouri Mule	1995
State Aquatic Animal	Paddle Fish or Spoonbill	1997
State Mineral	Galena	1967
State Amphibian	North American Bullfrog	2005

Complete the questions below.

1.  Missouri became the 24^th state in the Union on August 10, .

2.  The state bird is the .

3.  "Salus populi suprema lex esto " is the state .

4.  In 1820, Missouri became a state through the "."

5.  The state insect is the .

6.  The Lewis and Clark Expedition set out from .

7.  The state song is the "."

8.  The Missouri Mule is the state .

9.  The state mineral is .

10.  The state nickname is the .