Historical Note:

Rich soil and rich culture . . .

At one time or another the Choctaw, Chickasaw and the Natchez Indian nations, along with France, England and Spain planted their customs and beliefs in this area along the Mississippi River, and they took hold. These multicultural remnants still remain throughout the state, as do antebellum mansions and the reminders of Civil War battles that raged in every corner. Reconstruction was particularly difficult for this southern state, as only one quarter of its soldiers returned from the war.

Name Origin: Indian. ("Father of Waters")

Capital: Jackson

Population: 2,669,000

Area: 47,689 square miles

Statehood: December 10, 1817 (20th)

Nickname: The Magnolia State

Motto: "By valor and arms"

Famous For: Mississippi River, Fertile Soil, Cotton, River Boats, Catfish, Old South, Red Bluff, Civil War Sites, Antebellum Mansions

Trivia Questions:
Multiple choice . . . Is Jackson named after a) Confederate General Stonewall Jackson; b) President Andrew Jackson, or, c) Reverend Jesse Jackson? -- The answer is b) President Andrew Jackson, the hero of the Battle of New Orleans.

True or False: The Mississippi River is the longest river in the world. -- False. It's the fourth largest river in the world. The ranking is as follows:

1) Nile River (Egypt): 4,145 miles
2) Amazon River (Brazil): 4,000 miles
3) Chang-Jiang/Yangtze River (China): 3,964 miles
4) Mississippi/Missouri River system (USA): 3,740

What famous person died under questionable circumstances on the Natchez Trace? A) Hernando deSoto, B) Meriwether Lewis, C) Aaron Burr, D) Andrew Jackson, or E) Abraham Lincoln? -- B) Meriwether Lewis died in the spring of 1909 at a hostelry (called "stations") on a Tennessee stretch of the ancient Natchez Trace. Official reports to his friend, former President Thomas Jefferson, indicated that Lewis had committed suicide; however, friends and family disputed the reports, claiming Lewis was murdered. Scholars today are still arguing the facts. Today, The National Park Service marks the grave of Meriwether Lewis at Milepost 385 on the Natchez Trace Parkway.

During the 47-day siege of Vicksburg when Grant's Federal troops hammered at the iron will of Pemberton's Confederate troops, Vicksburg's 3,000 noncombatant residents were forced to live in caves among rats, snakes and insects, while dining on such things as rats and mule meat. True or False?-- True. Although rat meat was a last resort.