Created by many years of flooding of the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers, the Delta begins in Memphis and extends in an almond shape about 250 miles south to Vicksburg. Before cotton entrepreneurs discovered that the Delta possessed the desired climate for harvesting, the area resembled that of lush forests in Africa. As mosquitoes, gnats, and stinging flies continue to inhabit the area, endless scenes of flat plains have replaced its tall trees and greenery. Mississippi's dependence on plantations turned its natural vegetation into acres upon acres of cotton fields. Today, the flat horizon and lack of urban areas makes the Delta a seemingly empty and lifeless expanse of land. A closer look, however, reveals a rich source of African-American culture. Like the Carolina Coast, the Delta depended upon slave labor to support its cotton industry. This resulted in a large African-American population which, despite the migration North, still exists today. While the Delta is not as large of a tourist attraction as Charleston, South Carolina, and field work requires more digging, the Delta still holds endless secrets about the area and its inhabitants' history. |
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