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The
Granger Movement
In the years immediately
following the Civil War, Missouri farmers experienced
a boom in produce prices, but the early 1870s showed
a sharp decline. Land values dropped as more land
became infertile, and there was an increase in production
without an increase in demand. Many farmers started
to form organizations to help them have a voice
in the community and the government. The Patrons
of Husbandry, also known as the Grange, grew steadily
in Missouri after 1872. The organization was successful
in passing "Granger Laws" that placed a maximum
on rate hauling prices. The People's Party, also
known as the Populist Party, grew out of the Granger
movement. In September of 1874 the first Populist
State Convention was held in Jefferson City. Their
platform included the limitation on state debt,
control of the railroad, and improvements in public
education. Some Republicans joined the party, but
the Democrats were still able to obtain control
of the state. Later, the Populist Party had some
success in Missouri in electing Congressmen who
supported Greenback expansion, one of the Populists
primary platforms.
World War I
Missouri's mining,
manufacturing, and agriculture expanded to supply
the nation's armed forces. The state experienced
general prosperity during this time because of the
increased industrial production and subsequent job
opportunities.
Governor Gardner took
the lead among state governors by calling a food
conference and took an active role in the Missouri
Council of Defense. The Council was devoted mostly
to food production, helping Missouri increase their
rank in food production to fifth in the nation.
Volunteer groups also
contributed to Missouri's war effort. The Women's
Committee of the Council of Defense provided refreshments
for traveling soldiers, made hospital garments,
cooked dinners for departing soldiers, and mailed
letters to soldiers. The Red Cross and the YMCA
helped by providing statewide unity through speeches
and volunteer work.
More than 140,000
of Missouri's men took part in the First World War.
The Twelfth Engineers of St Louis was the first
military unit to participate from Missouri. A total
of 156,232 Missourians fought in the war; 14,756
in the National Guard, 92,843 in the Selective Service,
30,780 volunteers in the Regular Army, 14,132 in
the Navy, and 3,721 in the Marine Corps.
Missouri's Roaring Twenties
The 1920s were not
much of a boom-time in Missouri like it was in other
parts of the country. Agriculture was the most important
industry, but it began stagnating during the 1920s.
Stagnation reached into other aspects of Missouri
society as well; the government did little to build
a state infrastructure, population was not increasing
at the same rate as the rest of the country, immigrants
were not drawn to the state, and out-migration to
other states out numbered Missouri's natural increase.
The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) resurfaced in many places
during the 1920s, including Missouri. By 1924, between
50,000 to 100,000 Missourians belonged to the regenerated
KKK.
However, Missouri
did witness some progress during the 1920s. Automobiles
and mass media reduced the isolation of rural life.
New forms of entertainment, such as movies and radio,
replaced old and often racist Vaudeville shows.
During this era, Missourians began to honor their
past. A park was built in honor of Mark Twain, and
a Civil War museum and Battlefield Park was erected.
The Great Depression
Even though Missouri
did not enjoy the economic boom of the 1920s that
other states did, it suffered just as badly as the
boom states in the 1930s. Manufacturing collapsed
and agriculture suffered even more than it did in
the twenties. In St. Louis unemployment was over
thirty percent in 1933. Thousands of citizens lived
in Hoovervilles (the name given to shantytowns during
the Depression) on the west side of the Mississippi.
The New Deal brought
some relief to the state during the Depression.
Government commissions and associations helped strengthen
the state banking system. The Works Progress Administration
put men to work building an infrastructure that
included post offices, airports, hospitals, roads,
sewers, dams, and prisons. The New Deal also helped
teachers, writers, and artists find work. The New
Deal did not pull the country out of the Depression,
but it did help many people survive it.
World War II
The military products
and food needed to support the soldiers and the
war effort worked to pull Missouri and the country
out of the Depression. War production put almost
everyone who wanted a job to work. In Missouri,
factories produced airplanes, TNT, clothing, food,
and coal for the war. In 1944, Missouri's war plants
were valued at $513,700,000. Kansas City alone employed
332,000 workers in war related industries. Missouri's
agriculture was also in high demand. One Missouri
chemical plant went from a normal production of
30,000 tons of fertilizer to producing 120,000 tons.
Militarily, over fifty
Missouri citizens reached high rank, and over 220,000
Missourians served in the armed forces. Two training
camps were built in Missouri during the war, Camp
Crowder in Newton County and Leonard Wood in Pulaski
County.
President Truman
Harry Truman, a Missouri
farmer and businessman, entered politics late in
life, but rose to the top quickly. He started with
small positions in Missouri such as that of county
judge, and rose from Senator, to Vice President,
ultimately becoming President of the United States.
His rise in politics can largely be attributed to
his affiliation with Tom Pendergast, a political
boss whose political machine got Truman elected
Senator. Truman took over as President after the
death of Franklin D. Roosevelt and was elected president
in 1944. As president, Truman made one of the most
important presidential decisions in history when
he dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Conclusion
Although Missouri
only drew a limited number of immigrants, the history
of the people of Missouri is vast and important.
Missouri's citizens took on important tasks, such
as high political offices, and fought in many wars
to defend the country. Recently, Missouri has begun
attracting a growing number of immigrants. Between
1990 and 2000, the immigrant population grew from
70,396 to 151,195. The majority of these newcomers
settled in the St. Louis and Kansas City areas.
|
Origin of Immigrants
to Missouri
(1990-2000)
|
Number of Immigrants
|
|
Asia
|
52,733
|
|
Europe
|
43,107
|
|
Latin America
|
39,048
|
|
