MississippiMississippiThe Magnolia StateThe Magnolia State

The committee to design a State Flag (1894) recommended for the flag "one with width two-thirds of its length; with the union square, in width two-thirds of the width of the flag; the ground of the union to be red and a broad blue saltier thereon, bordered with white and emblazoned with thirteen (13) mullets or five-pointed stars, corresponding with the number of the original States of the Union; the field to be divided into three bars of equal width, the upper one blue, the center one white, and the lower one extending the whole length of the flag.

Mississippi Mississippi RiverRiver

Mississippi RiverMississippi River

Vicksburg: Famous from Civil Vicksburg: Famous from Civil WarWar

Oxbow LakesOxbow Lakes

Fishing: Catfish / Shrimp / Fishing: Catfish / Shrimp / Red Snapper / Oysters / CarpRed Snapper / Oysters / Carp

Still some HUGE cotton Still some HUGE cotton “plantations”“plantations”

State Flag: still has the State Flag: still has the Confederate symbolConfederate symbol

In 1902, Teddy Roosevelt refused to In 1902, Teddy Roosevelt refused to shoot a bear held in captivity: Teddy shoot a bear held in captivity: Teddy

BearBear

Cotton, soybeans, …Cotton, soybeans, …

The state's farmlands also The state's farmlands also yield important harvests yield important harvests of corn, peanuts, pecans, of corn, peanuts, pecans, rice, sugar cane, and rice, sugar cane, and sweet potatoes as well as sweet potatoes as well as poultry, eggs, meat poultry, eggs, meat animals, dairy products, animals, dairy products, feed crops, and feed crops, and horticultural crops. horticultural crops. Mississippi remains the Mississippi remains the world's leading producer world's leading producer of pond-raised catfish. of pond-raised catfish.

On March 12, 1894, the Biedenharn Candy Company bottled On March 12, 1894, the Biedenharn Candy Company bottled the first Coca-Cola in Vicksburg, Mississippi. the first Coca-Cola in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

Root beer was invented in Biloxi in 1898 by Edward Adolf Root beer was invented in Biloxi in 1898 by Edward Adolf Barq, Barq,

Tupelo – the birthplace of Tupelo – the birthplace of ElvisElvis

Music and “Mississippi Delta Music and “Mississippi Delta Blues”Blues”

Mississippi musicians Mississippi musicians created new forms by created new forms by combining and creating combining and creating variations on musical variations on musical traditions from Africa with traditions from Africa with the musical traditions of the musical traditions of white Southerners, a white Southerners, a tradition largely rooted in tradition largely rooted in Scots–Irish music.Scots–Irish music.

When people lost their When people lost their land and jobs, many land and jobs, many Mississippi musicians Mississippi musicians migrated to Chicago and migrated to Chicago and created new forms of jazz created new forms of jazz and other styles there. and other styles there.

Jimmy Rogers: “the father Jimmy Rogers: “the father of country music”of country music”

Many civil rights movement events happened in Many civil rights movement events happened in MississippiMississippi

Medgar Evers was an Medgar Evers was an African American civil African American civil rights activist from rights activist from Mississippi who was buried Mississippi who was buried with full military honors at with full military honors at Arlington National Arlington National Cemetery after being Cemetery after being assassinated by Ku Klux assassinated by Ku Klux Klan member Byron De La Klan member Byron De La Beckwith. Evers' life, his Beckwith. Evers' life, his murder, and the resulting murder, and the resulting trials inspired protests as trials inspired protests as well as numerous works well as numerous works including music and film.including music and film.

1962: James Meredith: 1962: James Meredith: the first black student the first black student to enroll at the to enroll at the University of University of Mississippi. Violence Mississippi. Violence and riots surrounding and riots surrounding the incident cause the incident cause President Kennedy to President Kennedy to send 5,000 federal send 5,000 federal troops.troops.

1964: The bodies of three civil-1964: The bodies of three civil-rights workers—two white, one rights workers—two white, one black—are found in an earthen black—are found in an earthen dam, six weeks into a federal dam, six weeks into a federal investigation backed by investigation backed by President Johnson. James E. President Johnson. James E. Chaney, 21; Andrew Goodman, Chaney, 21; Andrew Goodman, 21; and Michael Schwerner, 24, 21; and Michael Schwerner, 24, had been working to register had been working to register black voters in Mississippi, and black voters in Mississippi, and had gone to investigate the had gone to investigate the burning of a black church. They burning of a black church. They were arrested by the police on were arrested by the police on speeding charges, incarcerated speeding charges, incarcerated for several hours, and then for several hours, and then released after dark into the released after dark into the hands of the Ku Klux Klan, who hands of the Ku Klux Klan, who murdered them. murdered them.

Emmet Till: Emmet Till: Emmett TillEmmett Till was an was an African-American boy who at 14 African-American boy who at 14 years old was murdered in years old was murdered in Mississippi after reportedly flirting Mississippi after reportedly flirting with a white woman. Till was from with a white woman. Till was from Chicago, Illinois visiting his Chicago, Illinois visiting his relatives in the Mississippi Delta relatives in the Mississippi Delta region when he spoke to 21-year-region when he spoke to 21-year-old Carolyn Bryant, the married old Carolyn Bryant, the married proprietor of a small grocery proprietor of a small grocery store. Several nights later, store. Several nights later, Bryant's husband Roy and his Bryant's husband Roy and his half-brother J. W. Milam, arrived half-brother J. W. Milam, arrived at Till's great-uncle's house where at Till's great-uncle's house where they took Till, transported him to they took Till, transported him to a barn, beat him and gouged out a barn, beat him and gouged out one of his eyes, before shooting one of his eyes, before shooting him through the head and him through the head and disposing of his body in the disposing of his body in the Tallahatchie River, weighting it Tallahatchie River, weighting it with a 70-pound (32 kg) cotton with a 70-pound (32 kg) cotton gin fan tied around his neck with gin fan tied around his neck with barbed wire. His body was barbed wire. His body was discovered and retrieved from the discovered and retrieved from the river three days later.river three days later.

1964: “The Freedom 1964: “The Freedom Summer”Summer”

Sit-ins / Protest MarchesSit-ins / Protest Marches

Also known as:Also known as:

The Eagle StateThe Eagle State The Border Eagle The Border Eagle

StateState The Bayou StateThe Bayou State The Mud-Cat StateThe Mud-Cat State The Magnolia StateThe Magnolia State