The Mississippi has meant many things to many people, a river of dark dreams to slaves, an object of conquest for engineers and planners, and to others just a big river that marked which side of the country you were on. We explored some of the sounds, smells, sights, and literature of the river, a cultural and information highway.
For over 10,000 years the Mississippi River has served as the drainage system for the better part of the North American continent. As weather and rainfall vary, so does the Mississippi. The rising water has to go somewhere, and somewhere it does. In absence of reservoirs, the Mississippi will find one on its own in houses, schools, fields, and streets.
The river has dictated settlement patterns in its floodplain ever since humans have settled near it. Now, humans challenge the river’s demarcation line with hubris, earth, and concrete. The Army Corps of Engineers is charged with conducting the experiments, led by that ever-present and conquering spirit of Manifest Destiny.
