Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Chapter 1 Finding My Identity 3
France 4
Exploration and geography 5
The search for a population 9
Drama in the territory: Native American and French power struggles 14
England 21
West Florida? That time when Mississippi was called Florida 21
A cycle of English governors 23
The end of English rule 30
Spain 35
Another attempt to populate 35
The economy under Spanish rule 36
Mississippi in a Minute 41
I became French 41
I became English 42
I became Spanish 43
I became American 44
Chapter 2 My People, My Country 45
Mississippi Under U.S. Rule 46
Mississippi Citizens Want to Be Heard 49
The Louisiana Purchase 56
Territory chaos: a visit from Burr and the West Florida Rebellion 59
The War of 1812 72
Mississippi in a Minute 77
Chapter 3 Relations in Mississippi 81
My People as Planters 81
Religion in Mississippi 84
A rise in religion 86
Women in the church 88
My People and Their Slaves 90
Native Americans in Mississippi 93
The Choctaw 93
The Chickasaw 95
The Natchez 96
Native Americans under European rule 97
Native Americans under American rule 101
Mississippi in a Minute 106
Chapter 4 Becoming a State 113
The Convention 114
The Constitution 120
Mississippi in a Minute 124
Chapter 5 The New Mississippi: Operations Under Statehood 127
The Demise of Native Americans 128
It's all about the land 128
Starting a New State 132
Establishing a state government 133
Mississippi in a Minute 134
Conclusion 137
Glossary 139
Timeline 143
Bibliography 147
Index 149
About the Author 151
