As one of the great transportation arteries on the western frontier, the Mississippi River played a crucial role in 19th Century America. The mighty river represented the same ideas that our modern highways have come to symbolize: commerce, discovery, and freedom. In this way, the Mississippi River was America's first interstate.
Travel in the early 1800s was slow and laborious. Flatboats loaded with hemp and cotton made their way quickly down the river, cutting days off travel time. At their destination, however, the traders sold their boats for firewood, as they couldn't fight the river for the return journey. The traders would then spend weeks walking or riding home.
The invention of the steamboat in the early 1800s would change life along the Mississippi forever. A voyage up the river that took months could now be made within ten days! Steamboats became floating palaces, carrying goods, passengers, casinos, and traveling shows up and down the river. The steamboat increased trade and created a river culture that was distinctly American.
Today, the Great River Road parallels the Mississippi, allowing today's explorers to share the journey of the river travelers of the 19th Century through several sites along the way. Begin in Minneapolis with a tour of St. Anthony's Falls, which prevented steamboats from accessing the northern reaches of the Mississippi. The lumber companies of Minnesota found a way around this obstacle by floating logs downriver to the sawmills further south.
Next, stop at the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium in Dubuque, Iowa. Interactive exhibits at the museum include displays of the natural wetland habitat of the Mississippi, the Woodward Riverboat Museum, and a boatyard with the largest steam towboat in the world. Visit the museum's Hall of Fame to learn about the famous characters of the Mississippi, such as Louis Armstrong, Henry R. Schoolcraft, and, of course, Mark Twain.
The Mississippi offered more than just ease in travel. For escaped slaves following the Underground Railroad, following the river northward meant a journey towards freedom and a new life. Restored homes in cities such as Quincy and Cairo, Illinois preserve these stations of the Underground, and offer demonstrations of life as a runaway slave.
Explore the Great River Road and find the freedom, excitement, and experience that made the Mississippi River life a lasting part of American culture.
