The History of Mississippi

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Recommended: American racialism after civil war

Mississippi History was built on three ideas: cotton, slavery, and landownership. The privileged white planters who owned the land and slaves grew the cotton and ruled Mississippi society. The civil war destroyed the basis of Mississippi society. Slavery is no more, cotton is no longer king, and being white and owning land is not the basis of political power. Other industries have taken their place alongside cotton. Mississippi is a more integrated society, but not without a fight.
Cotton was once king cotton in Mississippi, but gradually cotton has given way to other industries. Mississippi was the producer of cotton in the United States prior to the civil war. In order to produce so much cotton, Mississippi needed a large and cheap labor force to make it profitable. That labor came from slaves. The pre -civil war population of slaves in Mississippi was over 430,000 compared to only 350,000 Caucasians. After the civil war, cotton’s hold on the economy lessened. Although it is still a major crop in Mississippi, bringing in close to $600 million dollars, it ranks behind poultry and forestry. Other industry has also taken root in Mississippi. For example, there is a Nissan plant in Canton not far from Jackson. Another example is the fact that 60% of the farm raised catfish is produced in Mississippi.
Slavery in Mississippi was a harsh existence of more than twelve hours in the fields picking cotton. After the civil war, the “semi-slavery” of Jim Crow rule in Mississippi was little better. African-Americans were kept in their place by racist laws including the Plessy v. Ferguson which allowed the “separate but equal” doctrine to prevail for over sixty years. Many African-Americans worked as sharecroppers picking cotton...

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...i has yet to elect another African-American to such a high office.
Mississippi history is one that was built on cotton, slavery, and landownership. The Civil War, WWII, and the Civil Rights Movement did much to change the look and feel of Mississippi society. Cotton has given ground to industries like poultry and catfish farming. And while there are still steps to take to politically to move Mississippi towards a society where anyone can be anything he or she chooses to be in Mississippi, even the Governor, in 2011 Johnny Dupree was name the Democratic nominee for Governor of Mississippi.

Works Cited

NLR Textbook: Mississippi History Part1; Mississippi History Part B http://thegrio.com/2011/08/25/why-is-mississippi-so-red-when-its-so-black/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Davis
http://mshistorynow.mdah.state.ms.us/articles/206/the-road-to-war-1846-1860

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