Mississippi
Mississippi takes its name from the Mississippi River.
This mighty river forms the western boundary of the state. The name Mississippi
comes from a Native American term that means “big river.”
Located in the southeastern United States,
Mississippi is considered part of the Deep South. Mississippi became the 20th
state of the United States, joining on December 10, 1817. Today, about 3
million people live in Mississippi. Jackson is the capital and largest city.
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Facts About Mississippi
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Capital
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Jackson
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Population
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2,920,000
people
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Rank
among states in population
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31st
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Major
cities
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Jackson,
Gulfport, Biloxi, Oxford
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Area
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48,400
square miles
125,000 square kilometers |
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Rank
among states in area
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32nd
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Statehood
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December
10, 1817, the 20th state
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State
nickname
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The
Magnolia State
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Name
for residents
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Mississippians
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State
bird
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Mockingbird
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State
flower
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Magnolia
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State
tree
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Magnolia
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Abbreviation
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MS
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LYING LOW
Mississippi is mostly flat. Its southern border touches
the Gulf of Mexico. The whole state lies in the coastal plain of the Gulf of
Mexico. The area along the Mississippi River, called the Delta, is very flat.
The Delta’s rich, black soil supports many farms.
Low hills and valleys cover the eastern part of the
state. Mississippi’s highest point is Woodall Mountain in the northeast. But it
stands just 806 feet (246 meters) high. That’s lower than some city
skyscrapers!
Forests once covered most of Mississippi, but
farmers cleared many of the trees. Pine forests called the Piney Woods thrive
in the south. The magnolia, a tree with large, white flowers, grows throughout
the state. It gives Mississippi its nickname, the Magnolia State.
CROOKED COASTLINE
Measured in a straight line, Mississippi’s
coastline on the Gulf of Mexico is only 44 miles (71 kilometers) long. But the
coast is very crooked, with many bays and coves. All these indentations give
Mississippi a total coastline length of 359 miles (578 kilometers).
A string of narrow, offshore islands protect
the coast. Some of these form a part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, a
wildlife refuge. The biggest islands are Cat, Ship, Horn, and Petit Bois.
THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER
The Mississippi River winds slowly through the
Mississippi Delta. Sometimes the Mississippi changes direction. It cuts
brand-new channels as it zigzags over the flat river plain.
When the Mississippi changes course, it can create
oxbow lakes. Oxbow lakes form when the river takes a shortcut by skipping over
a sharp bend in its course. The water in the bend is separated from the river
and stops flowing, creating a lake.
FIRST PEOPLE
Native Americans living in the Mississippi region were
Mound Builders. They built large earthen mounds at their settlements. The
mounds served different purposes. Some served as graves for important people.
Others were platforms to hold buildings such as temples. Still others were made
in the shape of animals or legendary beings. Many of these ancient mounds still
stand in Mississippi.
The three largest Native American groups in
Mississippi were the Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Natchez. European settlers arrived
in the late 1600s and began pushing the native people out. By the mid-1800s,
most Native Americans were gone.
But some Choctaw managed to stay. They still speak
their native language and maintain some traditions. Every year, they hold a
Choctaw Indian Fair to celebrate their heritage.
LOTS OF COTTON
Mississippi’s warm climate and rich soil proved ideal
for growing cotton. For many years, cotton was Mississippi’s main crop. By the
1800s, huge cotton farms, called plantations, were found in many parts of the
state. Many old plantation homes have been preserved. You can see a number of
these stately mansions in Natchez, Mississippi’s oldest city.
In the early 1900s, a beetle called the boll
weevil destroyed much of the cotton crop in Mississippi and neighboring states.
Many cotton-growing lands were abandoned or used to raise cattle or grow other
crops. But cotton is still important. Mississippi is the fourth biggest cotton
producer in the United States. Mississippi farmers also grow soybeans, rice,
corn, sweet potatoes, and pecans.
VICKSBURG
In 1861, Mississippi joined the Confederate States
of America. The Confederacy was a group of Southern states that tried to leave
the Union to form their own country. The American Civil War was fought to hold
the nation together. Jefferson Davis, a Mississippi native, was president of
the Confederacy.
The city of Vicksburg, perched on a steep bluff on
the Mississippi River, was an important Confederate stronghold. A decisive
Civil War battle took place in Vicksburg. In 1863, the Union Army surrounded the
city in a siege that lasted 47 days. It ended when the Confederate Army
surrendered. The victory gave the Union control of the Mississippi River and
split the Confederacy in two.
Today, the Vicksburg National Military Park
commemorates the battle and the soldiers who died there.
FREEDOM SUMMER
African Americans make up more than one-third of
Mississippi’s population. For many years, blacks were denied many basic rights
in Mississippi. The civil rights movement helped to change that. It was a
period in the 1950s and 1960s when blacks campaigned for equality.
Some major events of the civil rights movement
took place in Mississippi. One was called the Freedom Summer. In 1964, college
students from Northern states traveled south to help activists register black
Americans to vote. The students faced violent attacks and arrest. Three of
these students were murdered in Mississippi, causing outrage throughout the
country.
THE BLUES
If you like pop or rock-and-roll music,
then you can thank Mississippi! That’s because a style of music called the
blues grew up in the Mississippi Delta. African Americans developed this style
of music in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The blues inspired a wide range of
music, including gospel music, jazz, pop, and rock and roll.
Many of the early great blues musicians were
from the Delta. They include legends such as Robert Johnson, Howlin’ Wolf, and
Muddy Waters. Elvis Presley, the original “king” of rock and roll, was born in
Tupelo, Mississippi.
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