Missouri Statehood: August 10, 1821, and Its Flag

Missouri became the 24th state on August 10, 1821. President James Monroe issued the proclamation completing its admission. The statehood date followed the Missouri Compromise of 1820, while Missouri's official red, white and blue state flag was adopted much later, in 1913.

Missouri state flag with red, white and blue stripes and the coat of arms ringed by twenty-four stars.
FORTISVEX catalog illustration of the modern Missouri state flag. The flag design is separate from the statehood date.

When is Missouri's state birthday?

Missouri's statehood anniversary is August 10. The Missouri State Archives timeline records Monroe's proclamation on that day in 1821. The state government initially operated from St. Charles while a permanent capital location was being established.

Why was Missouri's admission controversial?

Missouri's application made the expansion of slavery a national dispute. Admitting a new state affected the balance between slave and free states in Congress. The Missouri Compromise provided for Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, and restricted slavery in the remaining Louisiana Purchase territory north of latitude 36 degrees 30 minutes.

The Missouri State Archives' history of slavery laws explains that framework. The compromise did not end slavery or settle the country's conflict over it. Missouri entered the Union with slavery permitted, and the state continued to impose restrictive laws on Black residents.

Did the Missouri Compromise make Missouri a state in 1820?

The compromise and final admission are separate milestones. The political settlement dates to 1820; Missouri's statehood date is August 10, 1821. The Archives' bicentennial history places admission in 1821. Use that year for a birthday timeline rather than substituting the date most closely associated with the compromise.

Who designed the Missouri state flag?

Marie Elizabeth Watkins Oliver designed the flag adopted on March 22, 1913. Bills supporting the design had been introduced in earlier legislative sessions before approval. The Missouri Secretary of State's flag history records the designer, adoption date and surviving original flag.

Why does Missouri's flag have 24 stars?

The blue ring around the central coat of arms contains twenty-four stars because Missouri was the 24th state. Three horizontal bands run red, white and blue. The Secretary of State's account connects those national colors and the state emblem to Missouri's place within the United States.

The flag therefore offers a useful way to explain the birthday: count the stars, then connect the number to the 1821 admission. Keep the design's own date clear, too. A modern Missouri flag is appropriate for an anniversary celebration, but the official design was adopted nearly a century after statehood, not in 1821.

Explore Missouri flags and other state birthdays

For a statehood display, compare the sizes, materials and mounting options in our Missouri state flag collection. For more anniversary dates, visit the U.S. state birthday calendar.

Sources and further reading

Oct 24th 2026 Sabrina C.

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