The history of Mississippi has several points of interest. Beginning, as far back as the early 1900’s, this history really grabbed my interest. I especially took interest in the early 1900’s prior to the Era of Progression. There was widespread illiteracy, segregation and the musical talent that were raised out of plantation living. By 1910 the arrival of the automobile’s movement began.
I 1890 A new Constitutions with stiff restrictions on voting occurred .A $2 a year tax was applied that blacks and poor whites could not pay. This resulted in 90% reductions in the number of blacks who voted. Mississippi finally became a progressive era by 1900. There were no paved highways, epidemics of contagious diseases, routinely lynching’s with local affairs controlled by courthouse rings. There was a widespread illiteracy and very few assets other than prime cotton land. Mississippi could not attract outside investments or European immigrations According to Wikipedia. After the 1900 the Jim Crow system was in total effect increasingly restrictive racial segregation laws. It was an economic disaster. The boll weevil infestation along with several flooding destroyed cotton crops. The loss of cotton crop caused most Africa American in the thousands to leave by train, boat. It was there hopes to head north because opportunities had steadily been closed off. Today if you travel the highways towards the southern parts of Missouri, cotton crops are still being grown and picked by some land owners.
The Great Migration by the 1940 and 1950’s the migration increased lied a half million people, three quarters of them were black. Prior to the progressive era some of the most recognized musical artist were from and actually rose in Mississippi: Bo Diddly, BB King and Muddy Waters. Each has made a mark in history as the leading musicians that are heard in various jazz and blues bars.
Mississippi the center of the music tradition in gospel, jazz ,rap R&B and blues and rock and roll. Bo Didly Born Dec 30, 1928 as Ellas Otha Bates known as “ Bo Didly.” From McComb, MS, was raised and adopted by his cousin .Songwriter musician, know particularly for his innovation and trademark rectangular guitar he died June 3,2008 of heart failure last words “ I’m going to heaven”. BB King : Born Sept 16, 1925 in Itta Bena, MS. Played on street corner, as many as four towns a night in his youth for dimes.
The Mississippi Constitution and the U.S. Constitution are both similar and different at the same time. For example, both of the preambles are similar and focused on the people that live there. However, the Mississippi Constitution has some limitations that the U.S. Constitution does not hold its people accountable for.
I have lived in Mississippi all my life and have had an opportunity to travel throughout the state. In doing so, I have observed several things that will important in this discussion. They are the music, the people, and the resources.
“The contrast in the relative prominence of slavery between the Upper South and the Lower South reflects the adverse health conditions and arduous labor requirements of lowland rice cultivation, whereas tobacco farming continued to be attractive to free family farmers as well as to slave owners”(Engerman, Sutch, & Wright, 2004). The lower South depended on their slaves more than the Upper because they were in the process of cropping tobacco. The Upper South had to keep up with the lower south, because they had to focus on their slave trade that would build and expand their plantations. During this era, the diverse between these two regions were more concerned with the values of slaves. The values of slave price can increase because of high demands between the upper and the lower South. As the upper South was coming up short, the slave profession took off. The slave profession helped the Upper South, yet there were numerous deformities. The slave percentage was at the end of its usefulness of significance “in the Upper South” significance it had a weaker understanding of community reliability than in the cotton areas. This made the upper south separate on what the future may hold. It was not clear on whether if the future was based on the Deep South’s financial growth between the North and the
Mississippi is known for a lot of things including their crops, it can also be found as the Home of Confederate and, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians has made many of the states traditions. The people, places and, events tell the story of Mississippi. The Modern History of Mississippi has made it the beautiful and popular state it is today.
By 1890's the south was so crazed by all of its prejudice and hate toward blacks that many advocates decided that blacks could possibly succeed in the south. Industrial wo...
Memphis is considered to be a dangerous city by many around the country with not many attractions besides Martin Luther king, jr. What they do not know is that Memphis is full of rich music and history. Various genres have made an impact on people’s daily lives such as gospel, soul, funk, blues, jazz, R&B, pop, country, and rap. Stax records were found in in 1957 which was known as satellite radio at the time. Stax has made a major impact on helping the lives of people in Memphis. Stax has overlooked the obstacles of color and racism by giving many artists of different races the opportunity they dreamed of. Stax has made a major impact by helping the lives of people in Memphis, breaking color and racism barriers, and most importantly by making music. (Stax Museaum)
Coming of Age in Mississippi is an eye-opening testimony to the racism that exemplified what it was like to be an African American living in the south before and after the civil rights movements in the 50's and 60's. African Americans had been given voting and citizen rights, but did not and to a certain degree, still can not enjoy these rights. The southern economy that Anne Moody was born into in the 40's was one that was governed and ruled by a bunch of whites, many of which who very prejudice. This caused for a very hard up bringing for a young African American girl. Coming of Age in Mississippi broadened horizon of what it was like for African Americans to live during the 40's, 50', and 60's.
The Civil Rights Movement is usually seen as a social movement primarily throughout the Southern states during the 1950’s and throughout the 1960’s. However, the movement is taught by giving specific points, events, places, and people. The Civil Rights Movement in some regions such as the Mississippi Delta is not credited enough in history. The movement found crucial support inside of the Mississippi Delta due to its population being predominately African American. The Mississippi Delta played a key role not only in the movement, but in its development from encompassing Civil Rights activist, movements, tragic events, and more.
Riley B. King better known as B.B. King was born on September 16th 1925 to a family of sharecropping farmers near a small town named Itta Bena in the Mississippi Delta. King's parents Albert and Nora Ella King separated when he was five years old and shortly after his mother moved to Kilmicheal Mississippi where Riley spent most of his time living with is grandmother. By age seven King was now working the field like a grown man. A couple of years later at the age of nine his mother died. King continued to live with his grandmother after his mother had past away. His grandmother was very religious and he attended church services with her. It was in the church where King begins to take an interest in music. He had dreams of becoming a gospel singer and learned how to play basic notes on the guitar from his preacher. In 1940 King's grandmother died and he had trouble making ends meet and eventually went to live with his father. (The King of Blues)
Anne Moody’s Coming of Age in Mississippi glimpse into the past is an exemplary look into Black life in Mississippi after the turn of the century. Mississippi, being one of the hardest slave states in the American south, and still just as arduous, if not more, after the reconstruction and clearly throughout the Civil Rights Movements. Moody, elegantly describes her life and those close around her. This essay will explore Moody’s account and how she carefully and meticulously expressed the details her life. Also, this opinion piece will prove how the behavior, culture and actions during Anne Moody’s time is still alive and well today.
Americans were struggling to come to terms with these changes. This is where the Reconstruction period begins. During the period between 1865-1877, political, social, and economic reforms were sculpting the nation. The North and South weren’t on speaking terms where the South resented the North. Slaves had been freed, but were not truly accepted into society and economically the farming growth and sharecropping rose. The abolition of slavery was the focal point of the Reconstruction period. Much progress was made to accomplish abolishment. However, it would take approximately another hundred years for African Americans to enjoy the benefits of the Civil War amendments created during the Reconstruction
What exactly was the Civil Rights movement in Mississippi? It was a time during the 1960s that had affected people even up to this day, and had also initiated the formations of documentaries and cinematic material that were created to renovate events. It was a time when the privilege and opportunity of drinking from a publicly-used water fountain depended on your race and color of skin. A not so recent film, Mississippi Burning, was produced in order to show detailed happenings that occurred during this time period. The movie talks about many characters that actually existed throughout history. It was shocking to experience the way people were treated in Mississippi. People were murdered for racist reasons, organizations were created to pursue horrible deeds, and people that were looked up upon were a part of these organizations. This film reenacts certain situations and was talked about frequently when it was first released. Reviews stated that the movie was somewhat historically accurate. However there were also those who explained that the film was superficial in a way that abused what really did happen during that time. Mississippi Burning was historically factual in introducing characters who were actually alive during this time. However it failed to realistically demonstrate how actual quarrels took place, and included unnecessary, dramatic events for entertainment and economic reasons.
Mississippi- a birth place of the blues music. Blues were born in the Mississippi Delta as a call-and response lyrical pattern “sorrow” slave songs and haunting “field hollers” (Wilson). First introduction of blues was in 1912 when a black composer W.C. Andy recorded “The Memphis Blues” which later became popular in 1914. But it was in the twenties, that nation got the craze of blues when singers like Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith recorded classic blues with jazz bands. While Blues falls into its own category, there are many different kinds of blues. Early emerging were Delta Blues and Chicago Blues. Three early pioneer of Delta Blues were Eddie “Son” House, Bukka White, and Big Joe Williams. During the great depression many African-Americans migrated towards the north giving Blues a new identity with the advent of the electric guitar – Chicago Blues. Then in 1960’s and 70’s Blues increasingly merged with rock music. American culture started to wake up to racism and discrimination. People started looking and experiencing the African-American culture in earnest and music was one part of it. Blues also helped in the development of Rock-N-Roll. It may have been just a form of expression in its infancy, but it became an identity for African-Americans for deca...
Mississippi's lawmakers, law enforcement officers, public officials, and private citizens worked long and hard to maintain the segregated way of life that had dominated the state since the end of the Civil War in 1865. The method that ensured segregation persisted was the use and threat of violence against people who sought to end
Society in the South evolved ensuing the emancipation of slaves after the Civil War. The Reconstruction of the South ended in 1877 and only added to the bad racial tensions in the region. Whites instituted laws that held blacks back from education, jobs, and participating in many forms of government. Lynching of blacks became rather prevalent and reached fever pitch in the 1890s all across the United States, but mostly in the South. Lynching escalated during the 1920s and Texas ranked third among states between the years 1885 and 1942 with approximately 468, including 339 blacks. The only states that had more lynching incidents were Mississippi and Georgia.