The word “Mississippi” means “great river” in the Ojibwe language. Some called the river the “Father of Waters.” People have lived on the land now called Mississippi for thousands of years. It’s no surprise that they first explored it because of the Mississippi River!
people were the first to call Mississippi home. Some built giant mounds more than 2,000 years ago. The first Europeans arrived during the 1500s. Explorers from France, Great Britain, and Spain explored Mississippi. Each claimed the land.
Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto began traveling in 1539. With about 500 men, he explored the southeast. De Soto reached (and crossed) the Mississippi River (near Natchez) on May 8, 1541. He was the first European to describe the river. De Soto was looking for silver and gold. However, he didn’t find any. He got sick and died along the river in 1542.
French explorers came in the 1600s. Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet explored the Mississippi River in 1673. However, they did not reach the river’s mouth. By 1679, Frenchman René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle (“Robert La Salle”) arrived. King Louis XIV sent the famous fur trader to explore the area. La Salle reached the mouth of the Mississippi River. On April 9, 1682, he named the area Louisiana (after the king) and claimed it for France.
Another French explorer established France’s claim to the lower Mississippi valley. His name was Pierre le Moyne d’Iberville. He helped settle Fort Maurepas in 1699. People later called the site “Old Biloxi,” and it’s now Ocean Springs. The French also built Fort Rosalie in 1716. The British controlled the site from 1763 to 1779. Spain then controlled it starting in 1779. In 1798, the United States created the Mississippi Territory and took it over. The site is now home to the city of Natchez.
As more settlers arrived in the Mississippi Territory, more people wanted to rule the land. Yet the groups of people had different beliefs. This created conflict. Native Americans believed in honoring, protecting, and sharing the land. The Europeans wanted to buy, sell, and make from the land.
Over the years, the conflict grew between the groups. The spread of diseases, the search for riches, and the slave trade all added tensions. The French and Indian War broke out in 1754, caused by the French and British interest in the land. The English won and claimed the land. Some Native American groups were given land, but they were forced to move during the 1800s.
In 1817, the Mississippi Territory split into Mississippi and Alabama. Mississippi became the 20th state on December 10, 1817.
By Elizabeth Nuzzolese
