The culture of the Mississippi River has an effect on geography and in turn geography impacts the culture along the Mississippi River. The geography of the Mississippi River provided early settlers with the natural resources to survive and thrive. At the same time the aggressive expansion of culture significantly impacted the Mississippi River’s region.
History of settlement along the Mississippi River illustrates the fact that the geography of the river is a natural attraction to settlers. Archeological evidence establishes that Native Americans occupied land and developed civilizations along the Mississippi River as early as 10,000 B.C.E. Records show that inhabitants on the river adapted and evolved utilizing the Mississippi River’s geography. For example, archaic sites between the years 8,500 B.C.E. and 600 B.C.E. indicate that there were different types of settlements that served different functions. Professor Larkin explains that there were local camps which had a living function and extractive locations where archeologist found evidence of hunting functions. In addition, James Crutchfield reports in his book, It Happened on the Mississippi River, that prehistoric American Indians, in 700 B.C.E, constructed a “metropolis along the stream’s eastern bank”, now known as Cahokia. Cahokia’s citizens resided in a “four-thousand-acre-town” and in this town there were over one hundred platforms and burial mounds that range from little mounds to mounds that reach one hundred feet high. Inhabitants made their living off the river by “farming the rich bottom lands…fishing the local streams, and hunting in the surrounding forests.” Rich bottom lands, streams and forests are only a few of the many assets that attracted ...
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...t of the region it used to occupy. As a result, the original site of the settlement is not now in Louisiana at all, but on the other side of the river, in the State of Mississippi.” In addition the rivers geographical natural phenomenon’s such as earthquakes and hurricanes have affected its culture. For example the New Madrid earthquake in the year 1811 raised or dropped part of the river by eight feet. Plus, it reversed the flow of the river. Professor Barbara Headle explains that “the Mississippi River is not just a placid landscape. She is an active participant in what happens to residents along her bank.”
The Mississippi River history is a notable example of the relationship between culture and geography. Prehistoric settlement and development along the river has illustrated that while culture affects geography, geography in turn affects culture.
The major physical legacy of the Great Mississippi Flood - an elaborate system of lower Mississippi River flood control measures that have confined larger floods - was recently in the news. Fast-forward to March 17, 1997, when the Army Corps of Engineers began diverting water around New Orleans for only the eighth time since 1927.
Mississippi was also managed in New Orleans to limit flooding. This was done through levies that were at first naturally built by the river’s mud flows during floods. Later the levies were built higher and higher to keep the flooding Mississippi into the New Orleans area. But the levies were often ineffective in managing, or led to, more flooding. Kelman explains this when they write “With the development in the Mississippi Valley ongoing and artificial banks confining more runoff inside the channel, the river set new high-water marks” (Pg 702).
The settler’s purpose for coming to America and the obstacles faced in both nature and with the natives caused the New England and Chesapeake regions to develop different societies. The problems that the regions faced were both similar and devastating, yet they had different effects on the regions. They way in which the problems were handled as well as the extremity played a large role in this and helped in the regions obtaining different societies. Despite the fact that the settlers originated from the same area in Europe, they created different societies in their New World homes.
There are three parts in West’s book; the first part focuses on the sociological, ecological and economic relationships of the plains Indians, starting with the first establish culture of North America, the Clovis peoples. Going into extensive detail pertaining to early geology and ecology, West gives us a glimpse into what life on the early plains must have looked to early peoples. With vastly differing flora and fauna to what we know today, the early plains at the end of the first ice age, were a different place and lent itself to a diverse way of life. The Clovis peoples were accomplished hunters, focusing on the abundance of Pleistocene megafauna such as earlier, larger forms of bison. Though, little human remains were found, evidence of their s...
The culture of Louisiana is not one general set of customs and beliefs shared by all those who live in the area. Louisiana is a state in which many different elements are mixed together to create what can be described as Southern Louisianan culture. The two most predominant elements which make up the culture within the southern region of the state are the cultures of the Creoles and the Cajuns, which have many different influences within them. A complex blend of many different elements including religion, language, music, and food, create the unique culture of the Cajuns and the Creoles in the region of Southern Louisiana.
Panfio de Narvaez led the expedition in 1528 to the Mississippi River mouth. Years had passed and Hernando de Soto did something similar, traveling to the north and the western states of Mississippi then migrated to the Mississippi River traveling to the Gulf of Mexico where they begin to experience great interest in Louisiana. In the 17th century, French and French Canadians were in search of the ability to rule and control the Mississippi River and the Gulf Coast, also looking for religion and commercial operations. France claimed many states on both sides of the Mississippi river in order to trade wi...
The years 1840 to 1890 were a period of great growth for the United States. It was during this time period that the United states came to the conclusion that it had a manifest destiny, that is, it was commanded by god to someday occupy the entire North American continent. One of the most ardent followers of this belief was President James K. Polk. He felt that the United States had the right to whatever amount of territory it chose to, and in doing this the United States was actually doing a favor for the land it seized, by introducing it to the highly advanced culture and way of life of Americans. Shortly after his election he annexed Texas. This added a great amount of land to the United States, but more was to follow. The Oregon Territory became a part of the United States is 1846, followed by the Mexican Cession in 1848 and the Gadsden Purchase in 1853. At this point the United States had accomplished its manifest destiny, it reached from east to west, from sea to shining sea. Now that the lands it so desired were finally there, the United States faced a new problem- how to get its people to settle these lands so they would actually be worth having. Realistically, it is great to have a lot of land, but if the land is unpopulated and undeveloped, it really isn't worth much. And the government of the United States knew this. One of the reasons that many did not choose to settle there immediately was that the lands were quite simply in the middle of nowhere. They were surrounded by mountains, inhabited by hostile Indians, and poor for farming. Because of these geographical conditions, the government was forced to intervene to coax its citizens into settling the new lands. Basically the lands were not settled because they were available, they were settled because of various schemes the government concocted to make them seem desirable.
Blij has clearly put this book into historical significance by mentioning the idea of geography and how it plays a role in societies all over the world. However, the five themes of culture regions, cultural diffusion, cultural interaction, cultural ecology, and cultural landscapes are all clearly defined within a specific context to a particular nation. Through reading this intriguing piece of literature I received the underlying notion that Blij firmly believes that landscapes of the world realm are not going to change. De Blij worldview of regions, diffusion, interaction, ecology, and landscapes has allowed him to simultaneously link issues together from the United States all the way to Southeast Asia.
Mississippi History has become the state its now because of many events, government actions, cultural changes, and writers. Indian Act Removal Act, 13th Amendment, and Reverend George Lee played a big impact Mississippi current status. The Removals of Indians increased the Europeans power and lessened the Indian population. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery. Reverend George Lee was shot down for urging blacks to vote. All these contributed to Mississippi History.
About 800 years ago, a great civilization inhabited the land in west Alabama, located along the Black Warrior River, south of Tuscaloosa. It encompassed a known area of 320 acres and contained at least 29 earthen mounds. Other significant features include a plaza, or centralized open area, and a massive fortification of log construction. The flat topped, pyramidal mounds ranging from three to 60 feet, are believed to have been constructed by moving the soil, leaving large pits that are today small lakes. As major ceremonial center, up to 3000 people inhabited the central area from 1200-1400 AD. An estimated 10,000 lived around the stockade, which surrounded three sides of the civilization (Blitz 2008:2-3; Little et al 2001:132).
During the years between 1840 and 1890, the land west of the Mississippi River experienced a wild and sporadic growth. The natural environment contributed greatly to this growth spurt and helped shape the development of the trans-Mississippi west. The natural environment dictated and facilitated the development of the west by way of determining who settled where, how the people survived, why people wanted to settle, and whether they were successful or not.
Barnett, James. The Natchez Indians: A History to 1735. Jackson: University of Mississippi Press (2007).
These movements west of the Mississippi river caused the newly relocated Indians to give up some of th...
In "Two Views of the River," an excerpt from Mark Twain's Life on the Mississippi, Twain comes to the realization of the realities of the river. After a life along the river and knowing "every trifling feature that bordered the great river as" well as he knew his alphabet, (Twain 1) Twain sees the reality behind the "beauty" (1) and "poetry" (1) of the river. A comprehensive analysis reveals Twain's argument questions the value of learning a trade, as his images of "the majestic river" (1) and the peril it may cause for the steamboat, show the comparisons of the beauty and the reality of the river.
Now you know was how geography affected many ancient civilizations and how those civilizations use them. The climate was a big role in the geography because it would depend if they were able to grow their crops. The rivers and mountains would offend help them grow their crops and protect them from other civilizations or invasions. Every civilization would use their geography that was around them the way that would most benefit them.