The state’s name comes from the Mississippi River, which flows south into the Gulf of Mexico on the western border. The river’s name derives from the Ojibwa word misi-ziibi, meaning “Great River” or “Father of the Waters”. Mississippi is one of the states of the so-called “Deep South”: Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina. Parts of Texas and Florida are often included. Hernando de Soto, a Spanish explorer, came to the country with his men in 1540 in search of gold and a passage to China. He was the first European to discover the Mississippi and went far into what is now the United States. The first European settlement, Fort Maurepas, was founded by the French in April 1699. It is also known by the name “Old Biloxi”. An important trading post, Natchez was established in 1716 on the banks of the Mississippi River. The city is famous for its role in the development of the “Old Southwest”. Natchez is the southern terminus of the Natchez Trace Parkway, which runs 715 kilometers northbound and ends at Fairview, Tennessee. After being ruled by the Spanish, British and French, the country became part of the United States of America after the American Revolution. During the years 1800 to 1830 the Americans bought more and more land from the Indians. Meanwhile, on December 10, 1817, Mississippi became the 20th state of the Union. Before the Civil War, Mississippi was one of the wealthiest states in the United States because of its huge cotton plantations. Today, Mississippi has the lowest per capita income in the nation. Notably, residents’ charitable donations are consistently among the highest in the United States. Check topschoolsoflaw.com for brief history of the state of Mississippi.