The Missouri Territory was established in 1812, carved out of the larger Louisiana Purchase. It included present-day Missouri and parts of several surrounding states. The territory was created to facilitate governance and settlement in the region, which was rapidly growing due to westward expansion. In 1821, the Missouri Territory was admitted to the United States as the state of Missouri. This admission was significant in the context of the Missouri Compromise, which aimed to balance the interests of free and slave states. The territory played a crucial role in the early development of the American Midwest.