The name means, simply, "big river." From northern Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico, it flows some 2,400 miles through the heartland of America. It is the Mississippi, and its saga of adventure, conquest, disaster and riches is the story of America itself. The Mighty Mississippi journeys along the river and through its past, from St. Paul to New Orleans, from its formation during the Ice Age to the ambitious 20th century attempts to tame its waters. It is a spellbinding tapestry of cotton kings and riverboat gamblers, Native American legends and devastating floods, the tales of Mark Twain and the chords of the blues. The Mighty Mississippi would be useful for classes on American History, Maritime History, Economic History, American Culture and Geography. It is appropriate for middle school and high school.

War Along the River

This episode of The Mighty Mississippi examines the role of the Mississippi River in the Civil War. Because of its strategic importance, the River became a hotly contested prize in war between the North and the South, culminating in the siege of Vicksburg.

Vocabulary

• discord
• uncanny
• insight
• augment
• eclectic
• Americana
• vexed
• pillage
• confluence
• exorbitant
• carpetbagger
• breakneck
• undaunted
• impenetrable
• futile
• forage
• epitome
• labyrinth
• valor
• dauntless
• ordinance
• emaciated
• opulence
• proximity

Discussion Questions

1. The Mississippi River was one of the most hotly contested prizes of the Civil War. Why was the river so important to both the North and the South? What was the role of the river in commerce and travel that each side wished to control?
2. During the Civil War Americans, sometimes friends and relations, fought each other. Why did the Civil War occur? What were the differences between the North and South that led to the war?
3. Discuss how the river was an arena of both blood and glory. What were some of the most heroic or unusual stories of the river during the Civil War?
4. What was the Anaconda Plan? How was this plan designed to defeat the Confederacy? Why wasn't this plan implemented?
5. The Union Army held the city of Vicksburg under siege until the city finally surrendered. Why was this city so important to the Union Army? Why did the citizens and residents of Vicksburg endure many hardships, including starvation, before they would surrender to the Union Army?
6. Discuss how and why Vicksburg was known as the "Gibraltar of the Confederacy."
7. The Confederate Army surrendered in April 1865. How did the loss of the Civil War affect the Mississippi Delta? How did the region finally recover?
8. Why did the railroad begin to replace the steamboat?

Extended Activities

1. Trace the route of Admiral Farragut's conquests of the Mississippi River and the surrounding regions.
2. Imagine that you are a reporter for a newspaper in 1865. Write a column for your paper that gives an eye witness account of the explosion of the Sultana.
3. Design a "floating palace" luxury riverboat that would have been fashionable in the post-Civil War era.