THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER IN AMERICAN HISTORY

The International High School at Lafayette

American History
Mr. Joel
Unit 5 – Geography and the Environment in U.S. History
Juan, Ying
INTRODUCTION

Like any territory or region in the world, the United States has been shaped and

transformed by its geography, in turn leading to both positive and negative effects for its

inhabitants. The Mississippi River—although officially not part of the United States until

1795—has perhaps been the single most influential and recognizable piece of geography

in American history. However, at times it has also been one of the most destructive.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

The Mississippi River—although it is the second longest river in the United States

behind the Missouri River (Document 2)—is the largest river system in North America.

As such, it and its tributaries have played a vital role to many peoples. Many Native

American tribes lived and depended on the river for thousands of years before the arrival

of European explorers. In fact, the name “Mississippi” comes from the Ojibwe word,

Misi-ziibi, which means “Great River” (Document 1).

Before being annexed by the United States government, the waters of the

Mississippi were touched by European explorers. The first explorer to record his

explorations into the Great River was Hernando de Soto of Spain in 1541. For the next

two hundred years the French, British and Spanish all laid claim to parts of the river.

Eventually, however, the United States negotiated a treaty with Spain to gain full access

to the Mississippi in 1795, known as Pinckney’s treaty (Document 7).

When Thomas Jefferson made the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, doubling the size

of the young United States, the role of the river in American history was to increase

greatly (Document 6). Soon shipping and trading towns began to spring up all along the

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river. However, is was the invention of the steamboat, which could carry larger loads at

greater speeds, that port towns like St. Louis and New Orleans grew in population and

importance (Document 5).

POSITIVE EFFECTS

The acquisition of the Mississippi River led greatly to the economic development

of the United States. First, the Mississippi River has the third largest drainage basin in

the world (Document 3). The drainage basin not only allowed local agriculture to

develop, but it also provided a natural source for shipping those goods to the great river

and beyond. In fact, from 1816 to 1817 alone, the value of total annual receipts at the

port of New Orleans increased from $8 million to $13 million (Document 5).

The invention of the steamboat—and its improved components—made the river

even more vital. Robert Fulton invented the steamboat in 1807, which used the power of

coal to transport greater amounts of goods much faster (Document 6). Trips from St.

Louis to New Orleans that used to take months now only took three days (Document 5).

Although the invention and influence of the railroad industry began to dominate trade and

transportation in the latter 1800s, the river continued to play an important role in

America’s economic development. Although its role has changed, the river still creates

jobs for many Americans. A 2001 report said that over 100,000 jobs were attached to the

river in the state of Louisiana alone (Document 5).

NEGATIVE EFFECTS

While the waters of the Mississippi River and its tributaries have created a fertile

region for agricultural goods and a highway for transport, its natural tendency to flood

has led to disastrous effects. While annual flooding may be vital to farmers located near

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a river, the yearly rise and fall of the Mississippi River proved a significant challenge to

the burgeoning shipping industry. In addition, areas of rapids and sandbars provided

obstacles to the heavier boats. The United States Army Corps of Engineers was

established in 1802 to address such obstacles and provide regularity in the face of natural

challenges, building dams and locks, as well as dredging parts of the river to increase its

depth (Document 1).

However, even a hundred years of human engineering could not overcome the

power of the river. The “Great Flood of 1927” proved to be one of the worst natural

disasters in American history, affecting thousands of people in the lower Mississippi

region. The flood plain spanned 80 miles wide in some locations and displaced many

poor indentured farmers and field workers (Document 4). Crops were destroyed and

industries and transportation were paralyzed, causing property damage to the level of

about $1.5 billion in today’s prices (Document 3). Although modern advancements have

been made to prevent the effects of a similar flood, the Mississippi River continues to

show its power from time to time (Document 4).

CONCLUSION

A single event in history can have many effects—positive and negative, seen and

unseen. But unlike humans with limited time spans, geographical features like the

Mississippi River live on, causing effects measured in generations. In a sense, the history

of the United States is like the history of the river, flowing ever continually with the

changing seasons and years, powerful in moments, yet a symbol of peace through the

ages.

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 WORKS CITED

Document 1 – “Mississippi River”

(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_River)

Document 2 – “Mississippi River”

(gatewayno.com/history/Mississippi.html)

Document 3 – “History of the Mississippi River and Tributaries Project”

(www.mvn.usace.army.mil/pao/bro/misstrib.htm)

Document 4 – “Mississippi River Flood History 1543-Present”

(srh.noaa.gov/lix/?n=ms_flood_history)

Document 5 – “Mississippi River – Economic History”

(web.mit.edu/12.000/www/m2010/finalwebsite/background/mississippiriver/missi
ssippi-economic.html)

Document 6 – “Creating America,” p. 302, 319, 344-345

Document 7 – “American History,” p. 127, 178, 193, 255, 273-274