[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 350 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 350
Recognizing and celebrating the 200th anniversary of the entry of
Missouri--the ``Show Me State''--into the Union as the 24th State.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
August 9, 2021
Mr. Blunt (for himself and Mr. Hawley) submitted the following
resolution; which was considered and agreed to
_______________________________________________________________________
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 people of the United
States 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 the State served as the ``Gateway to the West'', symbolized by the
Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, representing a new beginning for so
many people in the United States and marking 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 the history of the
United States, 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, Missouri, was president and
first captain of the West Point class of 1886, became a 5-star general
and commander of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) during World
War I and served as the Chief of Staff of the United States Army from
1921 to 1924;
Whereas Missouri is the birthplace of President Harry S. Truman, the 33rd
President, who--
(1) served as a captain in World War I, a United States Senator, and
Vice President before succeeding President Franklin D. Roosevelt;
(2) oversaw the end of World War II and rocketed the United States to
the international stage through his foreign policy, including the founding
of the United Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (``NATO'')
and the recognition of Israel; and
(3) promoted the advancement of civil rights by desegregating the
United States Armed Forces and forbidding racial discrimination in Federal
employment;
Whereas, in Fulton, Missouri, Winston Churchill drew the line between free
Western democracies and the growing threat of communism 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, all of which are cherished by Missourians;
Whereas the unique terrain of forested hills, wetlands, resource-rich soil, and
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 as a home to nearly
95,000 farms that cover \2/3\ 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 more than 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,
which began when leaders in Kansas City, Missouri, raised more than
$2,500,000 in just 10 days to commemorate the men and women who served
in the war, and the site was dedicated by the Allied commanders in 1921,
and recognized as the National 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 radiophone, the first wireless telephone;
(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 the United States;
(7) Dr. Pepper;
(8) peanut butter; and
(9) iced tea;
Whereas Missouri is also known for different types of barbecue across the State,
the roots of which can be traced back to the early 1900s in Kansas City,
Missouri when Henry Perry opened the city's first barbecue restaurant,
later passing the legacy on to Charlie Bryant;
Whereas Missouri's barbecue history also includes other ``greats'' such as
George Gates and Otis Boyd;
Whereas, 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, Missouri, an inventor and
entrepreneur who is best known for creating the Liquid Crystal Display
(``LCD'');
(2) Jack Kilby, born in Jefferson City, Missouri, an engineer who
invented the microchip and was a corecipient of the Nobel Prize for
Physics;
(3) Bill Lear, born in Hannibal, Missouri, an inventor and businessman
who created the Lear Jet, the first mass produced business jet; and
(4) George Washington Carver, born in Diamond, Missouri, 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, Missouri;
(2) Yogi Berra, born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri;
(3) Chuck Berry, born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri;
(4) Walter Cronkite, born in St. Joseph, Missouri and raised in Kansas
City, Missouri;
(5) Walt Disney, raised in Marceline, Missouri and Kansas City,
Missouri;
(6) Thomas Hart Benton, born in Neosho, Missouri;
(7) Rush Limbaugh, born and raised in Cape Girardeau, Missouri;
(8) Phyllis Schlafly, born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri;
(9) Mark Twain, born in Florida, Missouri and raised in Hannibal,
Missouri;
(10) Tennessee Williams, raised in St. Louis, Missouri; and
(11) Porter Wagoner, born and raised in West Plains, Missouri;
Whereas Missouri is world renowned for its rich jazz and blues history, which
began in the 1920s when artists from around the country were attracted
to Kansas City, Missouri during Prohibition and the Depression years,
and includes legends such as Count Basie, Andy Kirk, Charlie Parker, Joe
Turner, and 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 Leagues 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 is a monumental occasion to celebrate and commemorate
the achievements of the great State of Missouri: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate recognizes and celebrates the 200th
anniversary of the entry of Missouri into the Union as the 24th State.
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