Christian Pinnen

While Mississippi became the 20th state in 1817, settlement occurred as early as 1699 when the French began to settled what would eventually become Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and even part of Florida. The area's inhabitants, mostly by the Choctaw, Creek, and Chickasaw, presented many challenges during this time. The British gained control after the French and Indian War in 1763. The border was pushed further north during this period although the Native Americans continued to reside on the land. In 1779 the Spanish claimed "West Florida." After the American Revolution, Georgia claimed the area all the way to the Mississippi. With competing land claims, it provided a rich fabric. The Mississippi Territory was established in 1798, but included land in what would become Alabama. It did not include the coastal area at that time. This well-documented account provides an excellent study for the history of what would become the state of Mississippi and the surrounding areas that were important at various historic periods. The language is very academic as one expects in university press publications. The source citations lead to many excellent sources, and the authors provided an extensive bibliography of primary and secondary sources dealing with this period of the state's history. Anyone with historical or genealogical interests in Mississippi during this period should read it.… (mais)