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Copyright 2001. The Lazy 'C' - All rights reserved.
history
The committee to design a State Flag was appointed by legislative action February 7, 1894, and provided that the flag reported by the committee should become the official flag. The committee 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 centre one white, and the lower one extending the whole length of the flag, red--the national colours; the staff surmounted with a spear-head and a battle-axe below; the flag to be fringed with gold, and the staff gilded with gold."
Nickname: The Magnolia State.
Capital: Jackson.
Constitution: The 20th State.
Statehood: December 10th 1817.
Motto: Virtute et armis - By valor and arms
History:
Between 25,000 and 30,000 Indians lived in the Mississippi region when the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto arrived there in 1540. Three powerful Indian tribes ruled the region-- the Chickasaw, the Choctaw, and the Natchez.
The French explorer Sieur de la Salle claimed the entire Mississippi Valley for France in 1682. The Mississippi region fell under British rule after the French and Indian War ended in 1763. Control passed to the United States after the American Revolution (1775-1783).
By 1832, most of the Indians had moved to the Indian Territory (now the U.S. state of Oklahoma). Many settlers went to Mississippi to farm the fertile lands the Indians left. Cotton growers used slave labour to operate large plantations.
On Jan. 9, 1861, Mississippi became the second state to secede (withdraw) from the Union. Jefferson Davis of Mississippi became president of the Confederacy.
On April 25, 1862, a Union naval squadron captured New Orleans, Louisiana, at the mouth of the Mississippi River. In mid-May 1863, Grant began a siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi, a key Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River. Vicksburg finally surrendered on July 4, the day after the Southern defeat at Gettysburg. Four days later, Union forces took Port Hudson, Louisiana. The North controlled the Mississippi River.
The early 1900's were years of progress in industry, agriculture, and education. During the 1960's, efforts by civil rights groups to bring about integration were sometimes met with violence. By the late 1980's, about a quarter of Mississippi's workers were employed in manufacturing. But thousands of farm workers were jobless.
Bird:
Mockingbird - Found in all sections of Mississippi, the cheerful Mockingbird was selected as the official State Bird by the Women's Federated Clubs and by the State Legislature in 1944.
Coat of Arms:
The committee to design a Coat of Arms was appointed by legislative action February 7, 1894, and the design proposed by that committee was accepted and became the official Coat of Arms. The committee recommended for the Coat of Arms a "Shield in colour blue, with an eagle upon it with extended pinions, holding in the right talon a palm branch and a bundle of arrows in the left talon, with the word "Mississippi" above the eagle; the lettering on the shield and the eagle to be in gold; below the shield two branches of the cotton stalk, saltierwise, as in submitted design, and a scroll below extending upward and one each side three-fourths of the length of the shield; upon the scroll, which is to be red, the motto be printed in gold letters upon white spaces, as in design accompanying, the motto to be --VIRTUTE et ARMIS."
Economy:
Agriculture: Cotton, poultry, cattle, catfish, soybeans, dairy products, rice.
Industry: Apparel, furniture, lumber and wood products, food processing, electrical machinery, transportation equipment.
Flower:
Magnolia - An election was held in November 1900 to select a State Flower. Votes were submitted by 23,278 school children. The magnolia received 12,745 votes; the cotton blossom 4,171; and the cape jasmine 2,484. There were a few votes for other flowers. The magnolia was officially designated as the State Flower by the 1952 Legislature. In 1935, the Director of Forestry started a movement by which to select a State Tree for Mississippi, to be selected by nomination and election by the school children of the State. Four nominations were made--the magnolia, oak, pine and dogwood. The magnolia received by far the largest majority. On April 1, 1938, the Mississippi Legislature officially designated the magnolia as the State Tree.
Origin of state's name:
Possible based on Chippewa Indian words "mici zibi," loosely meaning great river.
Seal:
The present State Seal has been in use since Mississippi became a state in 1817.
Tree:
Magnolia - An election was held in November 1900 to select a State Flower. Votes were submitted by 23,278 school children. The magnolia received 12,745 votes; the cotton blossom 4,171; and the cape jasmine 2,484. There were a few votes for other flowers. The magnolia was officially designated as the State Flower by the 1952 Legislature. In 1935, the Director of Forestry started a movement by which to select a State Tree for Mississippi, to be selected by nomination and election by the school children of the State. Four nominations were made--the magnolia, oak, pine and dogwood. The magnolia received by far the largest majority. On April 1, 1938, the Mississippi Legislature officially designated the magnolia as the State Tree.
Between 25,000 and 30,000 Indians lived in the Mississippi region when the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto arrived there in 1540. Three powerful Indian tribes ruled the region-- the Chickasaw, the Choctaw, and the Natchez.
The French explorer Sieur de la Salle claimed the entire Mississippi Valley for France in 1682. The Mississippi region fell under British rule after the French and Indian War ended in 1763. Control passed to the United States after the American Revolution (1775-1783).
By 1832, most of the Indians had moved to the Indian Territory (now the U.S. state of Oklahoma). Many settlers went to Mississippi to farm the fertile lands the Indians left. Cotton growers used slave labour to operate large plantations.
On Jan. 9, 1861, Mississippi became the second state to secede (withdraw) from the Union. Jefferson Davis of Mississippi became president of the Confederacy.
On April 25, 1862, a Union naval squadron captured New Orleans, Louisiana, at the mouth of the Mississippi River. In mid-May 1863, Grant began a siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi, a key Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River. Vicksburg finally surrendered on July 4, the day after the Southern defeat at Gettysburg. Four days later, Union forces took Port Hudson, Louisiana. The North controlled the Mississippi River.
The early 1900's were years of progress in industry, agriculture, and education. During the 1960's, efforts by civil rights groups to bring about integration were sometimes met with violence. By the late 1980's, about a quarter of Mississippi's workers were employed in manufacturing. But thousands of farm workers were jobless.
Bird:
Mockingbird - Found in all sections of Mississippi, the cheerful Mockingbird was selected as the official State Bird by the Women's Federated Clubs and by the State Legislature in 1944.
Coat of Arms:
The committee to design a Coat of Arms was appointed by legislative action February 7, 1894, and the design proposed by that committee was accepted and became the official Coat of Arms. The committee recommended for the Coat of Arms a "Shield in colour blue, with an eagle upon it with extended pinions, holding in the right talon a palm branch and a bundle of arrows in the left talon, with the word "Mississippi" above the eagle; the lettering on the shield and the eagle to be in gold; below the shield two branches of the cotton stalk, saltierwise, as in submitted design, and a scroll below extending upward and one each side three-fourths of the length of the shield; upon the scroll, which is to be red, the motto be printed in gold letters upon white spaces, as in design accompanying, the motto to be --VIRTUTE et ARMIS."
Economy:
Agriculture: Cotton, poultry, cattle, catfish, soybeans, dairy products, rice.
Industry: Apparel, furniture, lumber and wood products, food processing, electrical machinery, transportation equipment.
Flower:
Magnolia - An election was held in November 1900 to select a State Flower. Votes were submitted by 23,278 school children. The magnolia received 12,745 votes; the cotton blossom 4,171; and the cape jasmine 2,484. There were a few votes for other flowers. The magnolia was officially designated as the State Flower by the 1952 Legislature. In 1935, the Director of Forestry started a movement by which to select a State Tree for Mississippi, to be selected by nomination and election by the school children of the State. Four nominations were made--the magnolia, oak, pine and dogwood. The magnolia received by far the largest majority. On April 1, 1938, the Mississippi Legislature officially designated the magnolia as the State Tree.
Origin of state's name:
Possible based on Chippewa Indian words "mici zibi," loosely meaning great river.
Seal:
The present State Seal has been in use since Mississippi became a state in 1817.
Tree:
Magnolia - An election was held in November 1900 to select a State Flower. Votes were submitted by 23,278 school children. The magnolia received 12,745 votes; the cotton blossom 4,171; and the cape jasmine 2,484. There were a few votes for other flowers. The magnolia was officially designated as the State Flower by the 1952 Legislature. In 1935, the Director of Forestry started a movement by which to select a State Tree for Mississippi, to be selected by nomination and election by the school children of the State. Four nominations were made--the magnolia, oak, pine and dogwood. The magnolia received by far the largest majority. On April 1, 1938, the Mississippi Legislature officially designated the magnolia as the State Tree.