[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 561 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 561
Recognizing and celebrating the 200th anniversary of the entry of
Missouri, the ``Show Me State'', into the Union as the 24th State.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 26, 2021
Mr. Smith of Missouri (for himself, Mr. Graves of Missouri, Mrs.
Hartzler, Mr. Long, Mrs. Wagner, and Mr. Luetkemeyer) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight
and Reform
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing and celebrating the 200th anniversary of the entry of
Missouri, the ``Show Me State'', into the Union as the 24th State.
Whereas the 200th anniversary of the entry of Missouri into the Union as the
24th State marks a time for Missourians and all Americans to remember
the past and celebrate the future, including recognizing the significant
contributions of the State of Missouri to the culture, governance, and
intellect of the United States;
Whereas Congress and President James Monroe approved statehood and entry into
the Union for the Missouri Territory on August 10, 1821, making it the
Nation's 24th State and the ``Gateway to the West'';
Whereas the city of Jefferson, lying on the Missouri River, was named the
Missouri State capital in 1821, for President Thomas Jefferson, the
third President of the United States;
Whereas Missouri served as the ``Gateway to the West'', symbolized by the
Gateway Arch in St. Louis, and represented a new beginning for so many
Americans and marked the beginning for Lewis and Clark, the Pony
Express, the Oregon and Santa Fe Trails, and individuals venturing West
to test their luck in the gold rush;
Whereas, despite the State's role in some dark moments in American history,
Missouri proves that we can have a brighter future, as evidenced by the
fact that as Commander of the District of Southeastern Missouri, General
Ulysses S. Grant utilized the Mississippi River to combat Confederate
forces, and Francis Preston Blair, Jr., who later became a United States
Senator, fought for the Union and organized the protection of Jefferson
Barracks in St. Louis, which contributed to the Confederate defeat in
Missouri;
Whereas General John Pershing, born in Laclede, was president and first captain
of the West Point Class of 1886, became a 5-star General and Commander
of the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I and served as
Army Chief of Staff from 1921 to 1924;
Whereas Missouri is the birthplace of President Harry S. Truman, the thirty-
third President, who served as a Captain in World War I, United States
Senator, and Vice President before succeeding President Franklin D.
Roosevelt, oversaw the end of World War II, and rocketed our country to
the international stage through his foreign policy, including the
founding of the United Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization, recognizing Israel, and promoting the advancement of civil
rights by desegregating the United States Armed Forces and forbidding
racial discrimination in Federal employment;
Whereas Winston Churchill drew the line between free Western democracies and the
growing threat of communism in Fulton in his famous ``Sinews of Peace''
speech where he popularized the term ``Iron Curtain'';
Whereas Missouri is the home to the national treasures of Alley Mill and the
Ozark National Scenic Riverways, the patchwork of the Mark Twain
National Forest, the Sainte Genevieve National Historical Park, and the
Lake of the Ozarks that Missourians cherish;
Whereas the unique terrain of forested hills, wetlands, resource-rich soil, vast
farmland, and the critical Mississippi, Missouri, and Osage Rivers
established the ``Show Me State'' as a leader in agriculture and
commerce and a dominant producer of soybeans, corn, cotton, rice,
cattle, swine, and poultry in the United States, and Missouri is home to
nearly 95,000 farms that cover two-thirds of the State;
Whereas Missourians have shown their unwavering patriotism to the United States
through their dedicated service and selfless sacrifice for the
protection of our Nation, with over 410,000 veterans and 36,000 Active
Duty and Reserve personnel in the State;
Whereas Missouri is the site of the National World War I Museum and Memorial,
thanks to Kansas City leaders who, after World War I, raised more than
$2,500,000 in just 10 days to commemorate the men and women who served
in the War, the site was dedicated by the Allied commanders in 1921 and
recognized as the National World War I Museum and Memorial by Congress
in 2014;
Whereas, in the 200 years since the birth of Missouri as a sovereign State, the
citizens of Missouri have made many significant achievements in
agriculture, art, athletics, industry, literature, music, science, and
many other important areas;
Whereas St. Louis debuted and popularized to the world groundbreaking and life-
changing innovations while it was host to the Louisiana Purchase
Exposition in 1904, where the world marveled at--
(1) the ice cream cone;
(2) the first wireless telephone, the radiophone;
(3) the telautograph, the precursor to the modern-day fax machine;
(4) the x ray machine;
(5) the personal automobile;
(6) the first public airship flight in America;
(7) Dr. Pepper;
(8) peanut butter; and
(9) iced tea;
Whereas Missouri is also known for different types of barbecue across the State;
its roots can be traced back to the early 1900s in Kansas City when
Henry Perry opened the city's first barbecue restaurant, passing the
legacy on to Charlie Bryant, and the State's barbecue history also
includes other ``greats'' such as George Gates and Otis Boyd;
Whereas Missouri is the birthplace of great minds; Missourians have contributed
to our society and economy through technological and agricultural
advancements, including--
(1) James Ferguson, born in Wakenda, an inventor and entrepreneur who
is best known for creating the liquid crystal display (LCD);
(2) Jack Kilby, born in Jefferson City, an engineer who invented the
microchip and a corecipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics;
(3) Bill Lear, born in Hannibal, an inventor and businessman who
created the Lear Jet, the first mass-produced business jet; and
(4) George Washington Carver, born in Diamond, whose contributions to
the agricultural industry changed the way crops are grown;
Whereas Missouri, home to Branson, known for its shows and live entertainment,
has produced numerous renowned artists in the areas of music, writing,
acting, television, radio, and visual art, including--
(1) Maya Angelou, born in St. Louis;
(2) Yogi Berra, born and raised in St. Louis;
(3) Chuck Berry, born and raised in St. Louis;
(4) Walter Cronkite, born in Saint Joseph and raised in Kansas City;
(5) Walt Disney, raised in Marceline and Kansas City;
(6) Thomas Hart Benton, born in Neosho;
(7) Rush Limbaugh, born and raised in Cape Girardeau;
(8) Phyllis Schlafly, born and raised in St. Louis;
(9) Mark Twain, born in Florida, Missouri, and raised in Hannibal;
(10) Tennessee Williams, raised in St. Louis; and
(11) Porter Wagoner, born and raised in West Plains;
Whereas Missouri is world renowned for its rich jazz and blues history, born in
the 1920s, attracting artists from around the country to Kansas City
during Prohibition and the Depression years, featuring legends such as--
(1) Count Basie;
(2) Andy Kirk;
(3) Charlie Parker;
(4) Joe Turner; and
(5) Mary Lou Williams;
Whereas Missouri was the host of the 1904 Summer Olympics, the first Olympics
held in the United States;
Whereas Missouri is the birthplace of the Negro National League, the first
successful, organized, professional African-American baseball league in
the United States that not only changed the game of baseball, but also
our Nation, and is the home of the Negro League Baseball Museum in
Kansas City;
Whereas the major league sports teams of Missouri exhibit an impressive level of
athleticism and sportsmanship, and have won several national
championships, including--
(1) the Kansas City Chiefs in 1970 and 2020;
(2) the Kansas City Royals in 1985 and 2015;
(3) the St. Louis Blues in 2019; and
(4) the St. Louis Cardinals in 1926, 1931, 1934, 1942, 1944, 1946,
1964, 1967, 1982, 2006, and 2011;
Whereas August 10, 2021, marks the 200th anniversary of the statehood of
Missouri; and
Whereas this bicentennial anniversary is a monumental occasion to celebrate and
commemorate the achievements of the great State of Missouri: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes and
celebrates the 200th anniversary of the entry of Missouri into the
Union as the 24th State.
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