A sweeping history of the Mississippi River—and the centuries of human meddling that have transformed both it and America. The Mississippi River lies at the heart of America, an undeniable life force that is intertwined with the nation’s culture and history. Its watershed spans almost half the country, Mark Twain’s travels on the river inspired our first national literature, and jazz and blues were born in its floodplains and carried upstream. In this landmark work of natural history, Boyce Upholt tells the epic story of this wild and unruly river, and the centuries of efforts to control it. Over thousands of years, the Mississippi watershed was home to millions of Indigenous people who regarded “the great river” with awe and respect, adorning its banks with astonishing spiritual earthworks. The river was ever-changing, and Indigenous tribes embraced and even depended on its regular flooding. But the expanse of the watershed and the rich soils of its floodplain lured European settlers and American pioneers, who had a different vision: the river was a foe to conquer. Centuries of human attempts to own, contain, and rework the Mississippi River, from Thomas Jefferson’s expansionist land hunger through today’s era of environmental concern, have now transformed its landscape. Upholt reveals how an ambitious and sometimes contentious program of engineering—government-built levees, jetties, dikes, and dams—has not only damaged once-vibrant ecosystems but may not work much longer. Carrying readers along the river’s last remaining backchannels, he explores how scientists are now hoping to restore what has been lost. Rich and powerful, The Great River delivers a startling account of what happens when we try to fight against nature instead of acknowledging and embracing its power—a lesson that is all too relevant in our rapidly changing world.

This study examines the evolving relationship between the river and the people who lived along its shores, focusing on the period from 1890 to 1950. The analysis proceeds from the assumption that in modern urban, industrial societies, such as the United States, people have increasingly transformed the natural environment into a human artifact. Such is certainly the case with the upper Mississippi. Between the late nineteenth century and the mid-twentieth century, both the river and its valley underwent major alterations that affected both the face of the land and the underlying fabric of the original ecosystems.

Mississippi River Ramble-Driving the Great River Road is a thirty day trip in a motorhome up the Great River Road National Scenic Byway from the small town of Venice, Louisiana, some eighty miles downriver from New Orleans, to Bemidji, Minnesota, over a thousand miles upriver. Enjoy the ride over hill and dale through picturesque scenery, enchanting historical small towns with names such as Bad Axe, Elsah, Genoa, Keokuk, Little Falls, New Madrid, Quincy, Red Wing, and Victory. Explore superlative larger cities, such as Minneapolis/St. Paul, New Orleans, and St. Louis. Enjoy the often lighthearted recollections of motor coach sightseeing trips of local attractions, such as the Crayfish Festival at Breaux Bridges, Louisiana; Mardi Gras, French Quarter, and Oak Alley Plantation in New Orleans; the Vicksburg National Military Park in Mississippi; Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley; Lorraine Motel, where Dr. Martin Luther was assassinated, the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee; the St. Louis Arch, and the Budweiser Clydesdale Horses in St. Louis, the boyhood home of Mark Twain in Hannibal, Missouri; the Mormon Temple in Nauvoo, Illinois; Amana Colonies in Iowa; the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa; and the Mall of America in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Take pleasure in, and chuckle a bit with Herb Williams' fifth book and the first in a series covering his travels throughout the United States.

This dirt-under-the-fingernails portrait of a small-time farmer follows Zack Killebrew over a single year as he struggles to defend his cotton against such timeless adversaries as weeds, insects, and drought, as well as such twenty-first-century threats as globalization. Over the course of the season, Helferich describes how this singular crop has stamped American history and culture like no other. Then, as Killebrew prepares to harvest his cotton, two hurricanes named Katrina and Rita devastate the Gulf Coast and barrel inland. Killebrew's tale is at once a glimpse into our nation's past, a rich commentary on our present, and a plain-sighted vision of the future of farming in the Mississippi Delta. On first publication, High Cotton won the Authors Award from the Mississippi Library Association. This updated edition includes a new afterword, which resumes the story of Zack Killebrew and his family, discusses how cotton farming has continued to change, and shows how the Delta has retained its elemental character.