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Mississippi: History, Government, People, and Economy
On December 10, 1817, Mississippi became the 20th state to join the Union. Its name was taken from the Mississippi River which streams from the Mississippi’s western boundary and empties in the Gulf of Mexico. The name was believed to be the translation of the Native American words "large waters" or "father of waters" which came from the Chippewa words "mici zibi." The "mici zibi" means "great river" or "gathering in of all the waters" and the Algonquin word "Messipi".
The origin of the State of Mississipi was brought particularly by the formation of the Mississipi River that dates back 12,000 years ago when the waters brought by the glaciers of ice age that curved the Mississippi reiver channels. The first inhabitants of the area recided on the Northern Mississippi region between 10,000-9,000 years ago. In 1540-41, the Espanish explorer Hernando De Soto became the first recorded European to set foot in Mississippi. In 1798, Mississippi had established its teritorial area covering a total of 125,546 km² of land and water is sorounded by the State of Arkansas and Luisiana on the west, Tennessee on the north, Alabama on the east, and part of the State of Luisiana on the south. Majority of Mississippi’s southern boundery is neighbored by the Gulf of Mexico.
During the ninteenth contury, Mississippi was one of the wealthiest states in the Union due to the high fertility of the soil. The main product of Mississippi was cotton, a high priced merchandise in the world market during that time. However, there were also a great imbalance of wealth in the state. A large-scale slave population was also required to sustain Mississippi.
In January 9, 1871, Mississippi separated from the Union and joined the Confederate States of America and evenually were defeaded during the Civil War. Mississippi was reaccepted to the Union in February 23, 1870, under the terms of Reconstruction.
Arts and music flourished in Mississipi as they have became the center of gospel music, jazz music, blues, and rock and roll. In the early twentieth century, William Faulkner and Tennessee Williams were some of the notable authors imeged in Mississippi.
In the early to mid part of the twentieth century, Mississippi became the center of the civil rights movement. Though there are more and more states supporting the rights of the Afican-Americans, still many on the State of Mississippi opposed it thus during the 1960’s, Mississippi was known as the reactionary state.
The present government of Mississippi is based on the separation of the the executive, legislative, and judicial power. The executive power resides on the Governor and the Lietenant Governor which are elected on a separate ballot. The Legislative is composed of the Senate which is presided by the Lieutenant Governor and House of Representatives which is led by the House Speaker. All the governent elected officials has a four-year term. The judicial authority is held bu the supreme court. Court of Appeals, Circuit Courts, Chancery Courts and Justice Courts are its division which have their own teritorial jurisdictions. All nine Supreme Court Judges are selected from three districts by by non-partisan election with a mandate of eight-year staggered terms.
Mississippi has 82 counties. Its capital is Jackson which is also its largest city. The state is inhabited by 2,881,281 people according to the last survey conducted in 2000: White population covers 61.4%, Black 36.3%, Asian, Mixed race, Native American Indian and Hawaiians covers the rest. 92% are Christian mostly Protestant. Household is 1,046,434 with 2.63 per household. Mississippi's total state product in 2003 was $72 billion. Personal capital income in 2003 was $23,466, 51st in the country.
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