NEOSHO, MO – The "Struggle for Statehood" traveling exhibit, which details Missouri's challenging entry into the Union, is presently on display at the Longwell Museum on the campus of Crowder College in Neosho. This educational display offers an in-depth look at the historical events that shaped the state and the nation.
Created through a partnership between the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy and the Missouri Humanities Council, both collaborators in the Bicentennial Alliance, the exhibit chronicles a pivotal three-year period. During this time, the controversy surrounding Missouri's application for admission into the Union was fiercely debated. The exhibit aims to reexamine the lasting significance of this profound conflict, not only on a local level within the emerging state but also on a broader national scale.
Visitors to the Longwell Museum will gain insights into Missouri’s complex journey to achieving statehood. The exhibit specifically explores why the state's application to join the United States provoked a widespread national crisis. This crisis, as the exhibit details, was so intense that it nearly dismantled the very union Missouri was seeking to become a part of. Audiences are guided through the historical narrative to understand the profound significance of what has come to be known as the “Missouri Crisis” and its enduring implications for both the state of Missouri and the wider nation.
The exhibit will remain accessible to the public at the Longwell Museum in Neosho until September 25. Following its conclusion in Neosho, the display is scheduled to move to another regional campus. Starting September 28, the "Struggle for Statehood" exhibit will be available for viewing at Crowder College in McDonald County, where it is slated to stay until the end of the current academic semester.
Looking further ahead, the exhibit is planned for additional appearances in the Four States region in the spring of 2027. Future locations for the display include the Joplin Advanced Training and Workforce Center and various sites in Cassville. Specific dates for these planned installations in 2027 are still to be determined by the organizing partners.
For those interested in viewing the exhibit at its current Neosho location, the Longwell Museum operates from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. The museum is closed on weekends and during all recognized holidays.
