Unit 3: Growth and Change

Big Idea Activity: How do people solve conflicts?
Tell Stories of Experience

Tell a story about one conflict faced by people in early Missouri. Research in your textbook to recall some difficult times in Missouri in the mid-1800s.

More to Explore

Becoming a State

The Twenty-Fourth State
Poverty became a concern for American citizens for the first time in 1819. There were a few reasons for this financial panic. Cotton prices had fallen and factories had to close because of competition overseas. America’s problems multiplied when Missouri applied to become a state.

Gateway to the West
Passengers on the Oregon Trail headed west towards gold and open land in the 1840s. They had high hopes for the future but faced many dangers on their journey.

A Growing State

Slavery and Plantation Life
An enslaved person living on a Missouri plantation sometimes had to become a jack of all trades. Owners often required a variety of tasks to be carried out, from farming to bricklaying.

The Civil War
Enslaved men wanted to join the army as soon as the Civil War broke out. They thought that victory for the Union would mean freedom from slavery. Even though they were willing to join the fight, African Americans were not permitted in the army. President Lincoln requested that Congress allow enslaved men to join the war effort in 1862.

Unequal Rights
Slavery ended after the Civil War, but the road to freedom was long and difficult. It took 11 years to readmit the Southern states into the Union. An education plan also had to be implemented for all the newly free African Americans.

A Time of Growth
The World’s Fair came to Missouri in 1904. The Show Me State had become a leader in industry. This made it a perfect spot to exhibit all the newest ideas and inventions from all over the world.

New Challenges for a New World

Difficult Times
America enjoyed the rise of industrialism and new inventions after World War I. Everything changed suddenly when the stock market crashed in 1929. The Great Depression began. Families struggled to survive. President Roosevelt’s New Deal was introduced to get the United States back on her feet.

Growth, Conflict, and Change
The struggle of African Americans for freedom and equality has a long history in the United States. This conflict has existed almost as long as our country itself. It has been the topic of Supreme Court rulings for 150 years.

Challenges Today
The aerospace industry is an important one in Missouri. Several universities in Missouri specialize in preparing young people to lead this industry into the next generation. Students at these schools can take part in cutting edge research in their field.

Topic Finder

Need help finding a topic? Explore these ideas for research… Conflict and Growth in Missouri

Activity Suggestion

Did you know that illness was a danger to everyone traveling on the Oregon Trail? A common disease called cholera often caused death within hours. Pioneers feared attacks from Native Americans, but attacks were few. It was disease that killed many pioneers. Another deadly disease was influenza, which is also referred to as the flu.