Mississippi,
The first Europeans who traversed this region were
De Soto and his companions.
They made no settlements.
La Salle discovered the river in 1682, and took formal possession of the country it watered in the name of his
King.
In 1716 the
French erected a fort on the site of
Natchez.
The colonies planted there grew slowly until New Orleans was founded, when many settlers were attracted to the
Mississippi River; but hostile Indians suppressed rapid growth, and it was not until after the creation of the
Territory of Mississippi, April 7, 1798, that the population became numerous.
The boundaries of the
Territory at first included all of
Alabama north of the 31st parallel.
In 1817
Mississippi was admitted into the
Union as a State.
A new constitution was adopted in 1832.
In November, 1860, the legislature, in extraordinary session, provided for an election of delegates to a convention to be held on Jan. 7, 1861, to consider the subject of secession.
That convention passed an ordinance of secession on the 9th, and, on March 30, ratified the constitution of the
Confederate States.
The northern portion of the
State was the theatre of military operations in 1862, but the most important ones were in 1863, in movements connected with the siege and capture of
Vicksburg (q. v.). On June 13, 1865,
President Johnson appointed a provisional governor (
W. L. Sharkey),
who ordered an election of delegates to a convention which met Aug. 14.
By that convention the constitution of the
State was so amended as to abolish slavery, Aug. 21, 1865, and the ordinance of secession was repealed.
In October
Benjamin G. Humphreys was elected governor, and Congressmen were also chosen.
The latter were not admitted to seats, for Congress had its own plan for reorganizing the
Union.
By that plan
Mississippi and
Arkansas constituted one military district, and military rule took the place of civil government.
Early in January, 1868, a convention assembled to adopt a constitution, and remained in session until May 18.
Gen. Adelbert Ames (q. v.) was appointed governor, June 16, in place of
Governor Humphreys, and, at an election held June 22, the constitution was rejected.
On April 10, 1869, Congress authorized the
President to submit the constitution again to a vote of the people, with such clauses separate as he might deem proper.
The constitution was almost unanimously ratified at an election in November.
Objectionable clauses, such as those disfranchising and disqualifying persons who had taken part against the government in the
Civil War, being voted upon separately, were rejected.
A Republican governor (
James L. Alcorn) was elected.
In January, 1870, the legislature ratified the Fourteenth and Fifteenth
[
200]
amendments to the national Constitution.
By act of Congress, Feb. 23, 1870,
Mississippi was readmitted into the
Union, and on March 10
Governor Alcorn was inaugurated, and the civil authority assumed rightful control.
Population in 1890, 1,289,600; in 1900, 1,551,270.
See
United States, Mississippi, in vol.
IX.
State governors.
| David Holmes | term begins | Nov. 1817 |
| George Poindexter | term begins | Nov. 1819 |
| Walter Leake | term begins | Nov. 1821 |
| Lieut.-Gov. Gerard C. Brandon | acting | Nov. 1825 |
| David Holmes | term begins | Nov. 1825 |
| Gerard C. Brandon | term begins | Nov. 1827 |
| Abram W. Scott | term begins | Nov. 1831 |
| Lieut.-Gov. Fountain Winston | acting | Nov. 1833 |
| Hiram G, Runnels | term begins | Jan. 1834 |
| Charles Lynch | term begins | Jan. 1836 |
| Alexander G. McNutt, Democrat | term begins | Jan. 1838 |
| Tilgham M. Tucker, Democrat | term begins | Jan. 1842 |
| Albert G, Brown, Democrat | term begins | Jan. 1844 |
| Joseph W. Matthews, Democrat | term begins | Jan. 1848 |
| John A. Quitman, Democrat | term begins | Jan. 1850 |
| John Isaac Guion, pres. of the Senate, | acting, | Feb. 3, 1851 |
| James Whitefield, pres. of the Senate, | term begins | Nov. 25, 1851 |
| Henry S. Foote, Union | term begins | Jan. 1852 |
| John J. McRae | term begins | Jan. 1854 |
| William McWillie | term begins | Nov. 16, 1857 |
| John J. Pettus, Democrat | term begins | Jan. 1860 |
| Jacob Thompson | term begins | Jan. 1862 |
| Charles Clarke | term begins | Jan. 1864 |
| W. L. Sharkey, provisional | appointed | June 13, 1865 |
| Benjamin G. Humphreys | term begins | Oct. 16, 1865 |
| Gen. Adelbert Ames, provisional, | appointed | June 15, 1868 |
| James L. Alcorn, Republican | term begins | Jan. 1870 |
| R. C. Powers | acting | Dec. 1870 |
| Adelbert Ames, Republican | term begins | Jan. 1874 |
| John M. Stone | acting, | March 29, 1876 |
| Robert Lowry | term begins | Jan. 1882 |
| John M. Stone | term begins | Jan. 1890 |
| A. J. McLaurin | term begins | Jan. 1896 |
| A. H. Longino | term begins | Jan. 1900 |
[37th, 38th, 39th, 40th Congresses vacant.]
