[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 561 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






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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