The World Remade, 1866–1902

OVERVIEW

The Mississippi History Now profiles on Mississippi’s governors offer brief summaries of the personal and political lives of each of the state’s chief executives. Although students usually are aware of the current governor and perhaps can name others who have served in the position, rarely is there enough time in the classroom to permit them a more personal glimpse into the lives of those who have served in the state’s highest elected position. Students can use these gubernatorial biographies in a variety of ways.

OVERVIEW

Progressivism was a political movement that originated as a response to the economic, political, and social problems brought about by industrialization. Poverty, child labor, unsafe factories, and crowded living conditions are just a few of the issues that Progressives worked diligently to reform. Mississippi led the nations in two areas of Progressive concern, but lagged behind the nation in the areas of woman suffrage and race relations. Progressivism came to a close in the state of Mississippi as well as the nation as the United States entered World War I.

OVERVIEW

In the 19th century, a large seafood industry developed on the Mississippi Gulf Coast due in large part to new canning methods, production of commercial ice, financial investors, and the development of the railroad in the region. By the early 1900s, the coastal city of Biloxi became known as the “Seafood Capital of the World.” Workers migrated to the city for seasonal work in the factories, settled in the area, and added to the cultural landscape.

OVERVIEW

As a whole, American society experienced economic prosperity due to the enormous industrialization in 19th-century America. Even though the United States thrived economically at this time, segments of society failed to benefit from the country’s industrial and financial transformation. American farmers experienced great difficulty in making the transition to a more urban and industrialized society. Out of this difficulty grew political organizations that addressed the grievances and concerns of the American farmer.

OVERVIEW

Throughout the school year, students will analyze Mississippi's four constitutions to determine the various forces that influenced the writing of each one. They will identify specific examples in the documents that indicate how the writers responded to those forces. Students will seek to answer these questions:

• How do the "times" affect the writing of a constitution?
• Does it matter who writes a constitution?

CONNECTION TO STANDARDS

Mississippi Studies Framework: Competencies 1,3,4; Objectives 01, 03.

OVERVIEW

Religion and politics are topics often hotly debated by Mississippians and just as often, deliberately avoided in conversation. This lesson will explore the story of religious groups in the state, beginning with the French and Spanish periods and concluding with the current perception of Mississippi as part of a regional “Bible Belt.” Students will be encouraged to examine relationships between religious beliefs through the years and prevailing societal realities.

CURRICULAR CONNECTIONS

Mississippi Studies Framework: Competencies 1 and 3.

OVERVIEW

Much of the story of Mississippi’s people, both past and present, has focused on, as Willie Morris writes, her two great blood sources: Great Britain and West Africa. (Morris, My Mississippi , p.