06/04/2026
On this day: June 4th, 1821, 205 years ago.
The Missouri General Assembly met for a special session for the first time in St. Charles. The Missouri Constitution, written in 38 days in St. Louis in 1820, included a clause that prevented "free Negroes and mulattoes from coming to and settling in the state upon any pretext whatsoever."
Some legislators in Congress believed this clause violated the U.S. Constitution. This special session aimed to address the concerns of this clause and pass a "Solemn Public Act," stating the exclusionary clause of the Missouri constitution should "never be construed to authorize the passage of any law" impairing the privileges and immunities of any U.S. citizen. This provision was left deliberately ambiguous, as the conversation about the citizenship of people of African ancestry was still in debate.
This debate was not fully finished until 1857 during Dred Scott v. Sanford, which declared American citizenship did not extend to those of African ancestry. This played a crucial role leading to the American Civil War.
Pictured: the controversial clause in question, as written in the Missouri Constitution. The clause was not formally removed from the Missouri Constitution until 1865.
