“The people with the dugout canoes” was a tribe of Sioux Indians called in the Miami-Illinois language. There seems to be some conflicting opinion as to how the name is properly pronounced (ending with “i” as in “mit” or with “a” as in “mat”). Linguists say there is no correct or incorrect pronunciation, but rather different variants depending on geography, age, people’s education and whether they come from rural or urban areas. Missouri was part of the so-called “Louisiana Purchase” of 1803, in which the Americans bought from the French an area stretching from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. Portions of this area, known as the “Missouri Territory,” were admitted to the Union in 1821 as the 24th state. The country was nicknamed the “Gateway to the West” after many settlers made their long journey west from there. Many Upper South settlers brought their slaves with them and settled along the Missouri River. This area was also called “Little Dixie”. In the early 1830s, Mormons arrived from the north and from Canada. Conflicts over slavery and religion led to the “Mormon War,” which ultimately resulted in the Mormons being driven out of Missouri. Over time, border skirmishes with other states over slavery erupted, and after many incidents, a border was established into Kansas. Missouri has both Midwestern and Southern influences. Here the history of the country as a “border state” becomes clear. The transition between East and West is also reflected in the fact that St. Louis is referred to as “western-most-eastern-city”, i. e. the city in the east lying furthest to the west. Kansas City, on the other hand, is the “eastern-most-western-city”. Check topschoolsoflaw.com for brief history of the state of Missouri.