Nobody is sure. The State Archives says the slogan is not official but is common across the state, and gives two origin stories: a congressman’s 1899 speech and a 1890s Colorado miners’ strike. Read on October 30, 2026.
By the It’s Missouri Editorial Team. Last reviewed October 30, 2026.
The Two Stories
- The State Archives says Congressman Willard Duncan Vandiver told a banquet in 1899, “I am from Missouri. You have got to show me.”
- Another story comes from a mid-1890s miners’ strike in Leadville, Colorado, where Missouri lead miners brought in as replacements needed things shown to them.
- The page says it is uncertain Vandiver coined the phrase, and that today it signals a skeptical, stalwart character.
Is It the Official Slogan?
No. The State Archives says it is not official, though it appears on license plates.
More Missouri Guides
Sources
Checked October 30, 2026 by It’s Missouri. Cite this page: It’s Missouri (https://itsmissouri.com/answers/why-is-missouri-called-the-show-me-state/), checked October 30, 2026. Free to quote with a link.