Trifter

The Mississippi River is the longest river in North America and the 4th longest in the World behind the Nile, Amazon and Yangtze rivers.  The source of the Mississippi is Lake Itasca in Minnesota and the river ends as it flows into the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana. It’s estimated that it takes 90 days for water to flow the entire length of the Mississippi River.

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The drainage basin of the Mississippi is huge as it drains 41% of the lower 48 states yearly rain and snow fall. Only the Amazon and Congo have larger drainage basins. Nearly all the drainage between the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains flows through the Mighty Mississippi.

The Mississippi River flows through ten states – Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana. Major cities along the Mississippi include St. Paul, MN, St. Louis, MO,

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Memphis, TN, Baton Rouge, LA and New Orleans, LA. Main tributaries of the Mississippi include the Ohio River, the Illinois River, the Missouri River and the Arkansas River.

In 1541, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto “discovered” the Mississippi River though of course it was well known to all the Native Indian Tribes who lived along its great length. The river is believed to be named from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi which means great river.

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Cargo has been flowing up and down the Mississippi River ever since humans have inhabited the region and today hundreds of millions of tons of goods flow along the river yearly.

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The river is also widely used today for pleasure boating. Reportedly water skiing was first invented along a wide stretch in the northern part of the Mississippi.

The Mississippi River played a critical role during the American Civil War. A major part of General Winfield Scott’s master War Plan was to cut off the South from the West by having the Union Navy and Army working together to seize control of the river and river forts and thereby cut off a critical and major supply route for the South.

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The Union victory at the Battle of Vicksburg in Mississippi in 1863 was the final culmination of the plan and gave full control of the river to the North. Once the Mississippi was in Union hands combined with the Naval blockade of all the South’s major ports the outcome of the War was largely decided.

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The Mississippi River is home to an abundance of wildlife species. The Bald Eagle, Mississippi Kite, Red-shouldered Hawk, Acadian flycatcher, Short-eared Owl, Snow goose, Blue-winged teal, Mallard, Great blue heron, Snowy egret, White ibis, American white pelican and American golden plover are just a few of the bird species found along the river. 

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At least 195 species of fish can be found in the Mississippi including the Alligator Gar, Paddlefish, Sturgeon, Bass and Catfish. White-tailed deer, wild turkeys, mink, muskrats, otters, snakes and alligators can all be found in and around the river. 

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The Mighty Mississippi is an ingrained part of America.

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