Summer Field Trip: Tour Mississippi’s History

Looking for something to do that’s both fun and educational? How about exploring the state of Mississippi!

Whether you’re learning about African-American history, literature, civil rights, the civil war, or Native American history, Mississippi is at the root of it all. We’re ready to tell you our story through trail markers, giving you an opportunity to see and experience our most important venues, people and memories, for yourself.

Mississippi Freedom Trail 

When Emmett Till was murdered in 1955, the people of Mississippi found themselves at the forefront of one of the most pivotal periods of American history. This tragic event is widely considered the igniting spark of the modern Civil Rights movement. While the death of Emmett Till made national headlines, it was not the only event to set the scene for this great struggle. Only months before Till’s death, Reverend George Lee of Belzoni was assassinated after registering to vote. Other events in Mississippi, from the murder of Medgar Evers in 1963 to the killing of the three Civil Rights workers in Neshoba County the following year, rallied those involved with the Civil Rights movement and brought more people to the cause. Half a century later, Mississippi is the embodiment of changing times. Today, Mississippi has more elected African-American officials than any other state in the country, as the civil rights movement continues as a strong element of political, social and daily life. The dedication of markers commemorating the following people, places, and events of the Civil Rights movement is underway.

Civil War History

Mississippi was a young state when the country erupted in Civil War, but its strategic location destined it to become a crucial part of that epic conflict. Abraham Lincoln would say that “Vicksburg is the key,” for whoever controlled this vital port town controlled the nation’s major transportation artery.

Mississippi was ravaged by war, with fighting occurring in virtually every corner of the state and a swath of destruction crossing the middle. The young capital city of Jackson was called “Chimneyville,” as chimneys were virtually all that remained following Union General Sherman’s scorched earth tactics. At war’s end, the state would begin the long, difficult process of physical, psychological and economic recovery.

Today, reminders of Mississippians who fought in and lived during this tragic period can be found throughout the state. Their memories and stories are preserved in the more than 1,000 stately and solemn monuments of Vicksburg National Military Park, the pristine battlefield and gently rolling hills of Brice’s Crossroads, the Corinth Contraband Camp, the last home of Jefferson Davis at Beauvoir, the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library at Mississippi State University and countless churches and gravesites.

Southern Literary Trail 

Perhaps nothing unites Southerners more than their literature, unless it’s their houses. The homes of southern classic
fiction writers of the 20th Century have been preserved for visitors to see how they lived. Landmarks that inspired writers – courthouses, parks, churches, stores, banks – have been saved for contemporary readers to enjoy as settings for festivals and tours. The Southern Literary Trail® is America’s only tri-state literary trail connecting mythic places that influenced great novelists and playwrights of the 20th Century.

Native American History

Though many people are familiar with places throughout Mississippi that hold Native American names — including
Yalobusha, Itawamba and Mississippi itself — few realize just how many native peoples made it their home. Many historians agree that the area now known as Mississippi was home to a greater variety of indigenous tribes than any other southeastern state. Up into the 1700s — when recordkeeping of the region began — local tribes included the Acolapissa, Biloxi and Pascagoula tribes on the Gulf Coast; the Bayougoula, Houma and Natchez tribes on the lower Mississippi; and the Chakchiuma, lbitoupa, Koroa, Ofogoula, Taposa, Tiou, Tunica and Yazoo tribes on the Yazoo River in the Mississippi Delta. The Choctaw inhabited the east central part of the state, while the Chickasaw dwelled in the north and northeast. The original Mississippians were most likely the Choctaw, who date back to the early 1500s. The Choctaw were the most populous by far and remain so to this day. Visitors to the region can immerse themselves in Choctaw culture by stopping by the Choctaw Heritage Museum or attending the annual Choctaw Indian Fair, which is held every summer in July. This regionally renowned event is host to the World Champion Stickball Games and includes a celebration of tribal music, crafts and traditions.

Story and photos courtesy www.visitmississippi.org