Historical Fact

 

The Mighty Mississippi

The Mississippi was the main artery into the middle region of the United States and opened up the West for exploration and future settlement. The steamboat provided the means to navigate the mighty river for cargo exportation and passenger travel. It also solved the problem of going upstream which had been difficult for barges to do. The North during the Civil War understood the importance of controlling the river and preventing supplies and soldiers from reaching the Confederacy.

The major competition for river travel was the construction of the transcontinental rail system. Once the central part of the United States was settled, westward expansion went beyond the Mississippi, the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains. Water transportation remained the cheapest method for moving products until the widespread use of railroads became the major means of transportation for the growing industrialization of America.

The following includes sites for information of the Mississippi River and steamboat travel.

www.nps.gov/miss/riverfacts.htm
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/steamboats_of_the_Mississippi
www.steamboattimes.com/the_mississippi_river_system.html
www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2004/summer/bridge.html