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Mississippi takes its name from Chippewa Indian words meaning "great river". Many tribes
inhabited what is now Mississippi prior to European settlement. Among these were the Choctaw,
Chickasaw, and Natchez. The first Europeans settled in 1699 after a French colony was established on
Biloxi Bay by Pierre le Moyne, sieur d’Iberville. The region remained part of Louisiana until 1763,
after which the English gained control of French territory east of the Mississippi River. The land
came under Spanish control in 1779, but by the Treaty of Paris of 1783, the United States claimed much
of the land. Spain did not relinquish the Natchez region until American troops arrived in 1798, after
which Congress created the Mississippi Territory.
The 19th century brought more settlers to Mississippi, lured by fertile land and high cotton
prices. Mississippi became a state in 1817. The state’s Native population was pushed west of the
Mississippi following several treaties. The state led the South in seeking new land for cotton, and
unfortunately slavery expanded. Mississippi joined the Confederacy in the American Civil War and
endured much conflict even after the Union defeated Confederate forces.
Following the Civil War, Mississippi did abolish slavery. However, it was not until 1869 that a
new constitution granting basic rights to blacks was adopted. Sadly, African Americans experienced
much disenfranchisement at the end of the 19th century.
The twentieth century brought great changes to the Magnolia State. The cotton-based economy of
Mississippi became based in sharecropping rather than on plantations, resulting in an era of
turbulence between the landowners and the sharecroppers, who were essentially destitute. The state
endured challenges ranging from Prohibition, illiteracy, and the horrific flood of 1927. Following
the flood, the federal government created many public works to stabilize the region against another
such catastrophe, and created waterways to improve navigation along the Gulf Coast. The latter half
of the 20th century witnessed continued racial tension in Mississippi. Many conflicts erupted during
the Civil Rights Era. Today, however, African-Americans are well represented in the state’s
politics.
Mississippi’s encounter with hurricane Camille in 1969 resulted in tremendous damage. The state
also endured a great flood in 1973. Economic struggles persisted through the 1990’s. Then in August
2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the Magnolia State, causing great destruction and loss of life.
Despite its historic troubles, Mississippi has contributed its culture and its music to the world,
and has shown it can rise above its challenges for a promising future.
Many famous people have called the Magnolia State their home. Among these are singers Elvis
Presley, Jimmy Buffett, Faith Hill, Charley Pride, LeAnn Rimes, Muddy Waters, Conway Twitty, and Tammy
Wynette; talk-show host Oprah Winfrey; actress Sela Ward; entertainer James Earl Jones; guitarist Bo
Diddley; football stars Brett Farve, Walter Payton, and Jerry Rice; puppeteer Jim Henson; authors
Eudora Welty, William Faulkner, Richard Ford, Barry Hannah, and Willie Morris; and playwright
Tennessee Williams, to name a few.
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