HISTORY69 - Native Americans in the Lower Mississippi River Valley
Pat and I were looking forward to a Spring 2023 cruise on the Lower Mississippi River from New Orleans to Memphis. In preparation for that adventure, I previously wrote about the history of the Mississippi River (February 27, 2022) and the history of New Orleans (April 15, 2022). I planned on this article covering the history of Native Americans in the Lower Mississippi River Valley, and then following that with an article on the history of Memphis. Unfortunately, our trip was cancelled during the writing of this article. I decided to complete the article anyway. You never know … After a short introduction to the Lower Mississippi River, I will cover the first peoples in the area, then over 5,000 years of impressive Mound Builder cultures, the first European contact, post contact Native American cultures, the ensuing Indian wars, and Indian removals, in which Native Americans lost their heritage lands. I will conclude with a snapshot of Native Americans in the Lower Mississ