Series 1 contains transcriptions of Civil War–era articles from the Missouri Democrat, a prominent pro-Union, anti-slavery newspaper in the slave state of Missouri. Representing the views of Missouri’s Unconditional Unionists, the paper provides a vivid contemporary perspective on the political tensions and military events that marked the opening year of the war.

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These volumes include nearly every Civil War–related article published in the Missouri Democrat during 1861. Each article has been carefully transcribed and annotated with explanatory notes to clarify people, places, and events. Maps and illustrations help visualize the material, while a timeline keyed to the articles, a finding aid, and an index make the collection easy to navigate for researchers and general readers alike.

Series 2 presents a month-by-month collection of Civil War–era documents from 1861, offering a firsthand look at events as they unfolded in Missouri. Drawn from a wide range of archival sources, each volume includes letters, official reports, proclamations, military orders, and other contemporary records that reveal the decisions and experiences shaping the conflict.

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All documents have been carefully transcribed and annotated with explanatory footnotes to clarify people, places, and events. Maps and illustrations enhance the material, while the chronological structure allows readers to follow developments in real time. This series serves as a valuable resource for anyone seeking direct insight into Missouri’s Civil War experience.

Free with purchase of Series 1 or Series 2 (for a limited time).

Series 12, Volume 2: Atlas is an indispensable companion to the 1861 Missouri Speaks Collection, bringing together hundreds of original maps, diagrams, and illustrations that illuminate Missouri's turbulent first year of the Civil War. Covering everything from territorial expansion and the Missouri Compromise to military districts, troop movements, railroads, waterways, political demographics, and battlefield operations, this atlas provides readers with a visual guide to the people, places, and events that shaped Missouri in 1861. Whether used alongside the documentary volumes or as a stand-alone reference work, this richly illustrated atlas offers historians, genealogists, battlefield visitors, and Civil War enthusiasts an unparalleled geographic and visual understanding of Missouri's pivotal role in the opening year of the American Civil War.

Free with purchase of Series 1 or Series 2 (for a limited time).

This introductory Sampler offers selected excerpts from each of the fourteen series in the Missouri Speaks Collection. The collection ultimately comprises more than 70 volumes containing transcribed Civil War–era newspapers, primary-source documents, and government reports related to Missouri during the conflict.

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The Sampler provides readers with an opportunity to explore the scope and content of the collection and serves as a convenient guide for identifying the volumes that may be of greatest interest.