Mississippi Territory facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Territory of Mississippi
Organized incorporated territory of the United States
1798–1817
Flag Seal
Capital	Natchez
• Type	Organized incorporated territory
History
• Established	7 April 1798
• Georgia recognizes its present borders	1802
• Georgia cession added to Mississippi Territory	1804
• Mobile District annexed	1812
• Alabama Territory created	Dec. 10, 1817
• Statehood	10 December 1817
Preceded by Succeeded by Yazoo lands West Florida Republic of West Florida Choctaw Mississippi Alabama Territory

1948 postage stamp depicting the Mississippi Territory

The Territory of Mississippi was an important part of early American history. It was a special area of the United States that existed from April 7, 1798, until December 10, 1817. At that time, the western part of the territory became the State of Mississippi. The eastern part became the Alabama Territory, which later became the State of Alabama in 1819. The Chattahoochee River was very important in setting the territory's boundaries. Many people moved to the area in the early 1800s, and cotton became a very important crop.

History of the Mississippi Territory

The lands east of the Mississippi River were once claimed by both the United States and Spain. Spain finally gave up its claim with the Treaty of Madrid in 1795. The Mississippi Territory was then created in 1798 from these lands. It stretched from 31° N latitude to 32°28' North. This area is roughly the southern half of what are now the states of Alabama and Mississippi.

Georgia's Land Claims

The state of Georgia also claimed a large area that covered almost all of present-day Alabama and Mississippi. This claim was from 31° N to 35° N latitude. Georgia gave up this claim in 1802 after something called the Yazoo land scandal. In 1804, the Congress added all the land Georgia had given up to the Mississippi Territory.

The Capital and Expansion

Around 1808, the government meetings for the Mississippi Territory were held in a house owned by Charles DeFrance. This house, also known as Assembly Hall, was located in Washington, Mississippi. This town was about 10 miles from the city of Natchez.

In 1812, the United States added the Mobile District of West Florida to the territory. This area was between the Perdido River and the Pearl River. The U.S. said this land was part of the Louisiana Purchase from 1803. Spain disagreed and still claimed the area. The next year, a law was secretly passed allowing the President to take control of this area using military force if needed. General James Wilkinson then occupied the district with soldiers, and the Spanish leader did not fight back. This addition made the Mississippi Territory stretch all the way south to the Gulf of Mexico. Its northern border became the border of Tennessee, covering all of what is now Alabama and Mississippi.

Becoming States

Laws passed on March 1 and 3, 1817, planned to divide the Mississippi Territory. The western part would become the state of Mississippi, and the eastern part would become the Alabama Territory. St. Stephens, on the Tombigbee River, was chosen as the temporary capital for the Alabama Territory. On December 10, 1817, the division was completed. The western part officially joined the Union as Mississippi, becoming the 20th state.

Territory Borders

The final border between Georgia and the Mississippi Territory followed the Chattahoochee River north from the border with Spanish Florida. However, the Chattahoochee River turns northeast into Georgia. So, the border was set to follow the river until it turned northeast. From that point, it followed a straight line north to the 35th parallel. This line was not perfectly straight north. Instead, it angled to meet the northern border of the territory about one-third of the way west. This left the other two-thirds for the future states of Alabama and Mississippi.

Congress decided the border between Mississippi and Alabama by dividing the territory into two parts that were about equal in size. The good farming lands were split by a straight line running south from the northwest corner of Washington County to the Gulf of Mexico. The border north of this point was angled westward. This was done to keep Mississippi and Alabama roughly the same size. At its northern end, this angled border follows a short part of the Tennessee River. This boundary was chosen because if the straight line had gone all the way to the Tennessee border, Mississippi would have had a small piece of hilly land cut off by the wide Tennessee River.

Population and Growth

The chance to get large amounts of good, cheap land for growing cotton attracted many settlers. Most came from Georgia and the Carolinas, and from tobacco-growing areas of Virginia and North Carolina. At that time, growing tobacco barely made a profit. From 1798 to 1820, the population grew from less than 9,000 to more than 22,000 people.

People moved in two main waves. There was a steady movement until the War of 1812 began. Then, after the war, there was a huge flood of people from 1815 to 1819. This postwar rush happened for several reasons:

• High prices for cotton.
• Native American land claims being removed.
• New and better roads.
• New ways to ship goods directly to the Gulf of Mexico.

The first people to arrive were traders and trappers. Then came herdsmen, and finally, planters. The higher lands in the Southwest frontier developed into a more democratic society.

Population by County (1810)

In the 1810 United States census, 11 counties in the Mississippi Territory reported their population counts. Eight of these counties were in present-day Mississippi, and three were in present-day Alabama.

The Rise of Cotton

After 1800, the growth of a cotton economy in the South changed how Native Americans, white settlers, and enslaved people interacted in the Mississippi Territory. As Native Americans gave up their lands to white settlers, they became more separated from them. A large amount of former Native American land was sold to the public. This, along with more white settlers (who brought enslaved people with them), made sure that cotton farming became the most important economic activity.

Territorial Government

President John Adams chose Winthrop Sargent to be the first governor of the Mississippi Territory. He served from May 1798 to May 1801.

Governors and Leaders

• Winthrop Sargent (1798-1801): The first governor.
• William C. C. Claiborne (1801-1803): A lawyer and former Congressman. He was also in charge of Native American affairs. Claiborne was generally fair to Native Americans, even though he wanted to get some land from the Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes. He worked hard to solve problems and improve the lives of Native Americans. He also helped bring law and order to the territory. For example, he offered a reward that helped stop a group of outlaws led by Samuel Mason. Claiborne's ideas showed a national view, not just a local one. When a smallpox outbreak happened in 1802, his actions led to the first mass vaccination in the territory, saving Natchez from the disease.
• George Mathews was appointed governor but never took office.
• Robert Williams (1805-1809): The third governor.
• David Holmes (1809-1817): The last governor of the Mississippi Territory. Holmes was good at handling many issues, including land policies, Native American relations, the War of 1812, and the meeting to write the state's constitution in 1817. He played a big part in peacefully taking control of part of West Florida in 1810. People believed Holmes was successful because he was kind, unselfish, persuasive, brave, honest, diplomatic, and smart.

The eastern part of the Mississippi Territory was called the Tombigbee District, and later Washington County. The territorial government often ignored the people living there. They faced problems with hostile neighbors, Native American groups, land claims, and establishing law. These problems were slowly solved, but not completely fixed when the territory became the state of Alabama in 1819.

Laws and Courts

The legal system in the Mississippi Territory was based on English common law. The citizens thought the laws made by Governor Winthrop Sargent were unfair. However, "Sargent's Code" created the first court system for the territory and set an example for later laws. In the late 1700s, the area badly needed good judges. The governor and three judges were supposed to create laws for the new territory. But the first judges often lacked legal experience or were absent. For example, Judge William McGuire left after only a few weeks. Judge Tilton had little legal training and left after an argument with the governor. Judge Bruin, a merchant, was described as "worthy and sensible" but "deficient" in legal knowledge and often absent. This changed when Thomas Rodney, a federal judge, arrived in 1803. He helped organize the court system until his death in 1811.

A law passed in 1802 made the court system much simpler. More laws followed in 1805, 1809, and 1814 to reorganize the courts. Even with changes, Sargent's county court system and the power of judges remained strong. While the first judges were not very experienced, the quality of judges improved over time.

Religion in the Territory

The Roman Catholic Church was active along the coast, brought by French and Spanish settlers. After 1799, more American Protestants moved into the territory, bringing their different religions. Many wealthy planters and land speculators were not very religious, focusing more on making money. As more Americans arrived, Methodists, Baptists, and Presbyterians became the three main religious groups. Protestant ministers gained followers, often helped with education, and had some influence in improving the treatment of enslaved people.

The War of 1812 and Its Impact

The people of the Mississippi Territory generally supported the war with Britain in 1812. By 1810, people in the Southwest were less interested in trade restrictions and more interested in free trade and defending national honor. They also wanted to gain Spanish Florida. However, local issues like land claims, Native American relations, and becoming a state were still very important. Most people saw no conflict between supporting the war and their local interests. In fact, some thought the war could help solve certain local problems.

Fort Mims Massacre

After a successful attack on a white expedition at the Battle of Burnt Corn, a group of hostile Creeks called the Red Sticks decided to attack Fort Mims in the eastern part of the Mississippi Territory (now Alabama). On August 30, 1813, the attack happened at noon when most of the soldiers were eating. Poor scouting, the Native Americans taking over the gun holes, and the inability to close the main gates all led to the defeat. Out of 275 to 300 people inside Fort Mims, only 20 to 40 escaped. This means about 235 to 260 white settlers and friendly Native Americans were killed. The Creeks lost at least 100 warriors.

This event had major effects. It started a big war with Native Americans, which led to a large build-up of American military forces in the area. This likely stopped the British from taking control of the undefended Gulf coast in 1814. More importantly, relations between Americans and the southern Native Americans changed greatly. The Creeks, who had lived peacefully near the settlers, lost more than half of their land. Within twenty years, they were forced to move west of the Mississippi River.

Brigadier General Ferdinand L. Claiborne, who commanded the Mississippi militia, was not blamed for the massacre. However, Major Daniel Beasley was found to be very careless. At the Battle of Horseshoe Bend on March 27, 1814, American forces and their Native American allies, led by General Andrew Jackson, defeated the Red Sticks. Most of their warriors were killed, and the rest fled to Florida, where they joined the Seminole tribe.

See also

In Spanish: Territorio de Misisipi para niños