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Maritime-Related National Parks in Mississippi

 

Gulf Islands National Seashore (also in FL)

• What is it that entices people to the sea?? Poet John Masefield wrote, "I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied." Millions of visitors are drawn to the islands in the northern Gulf of Mexico for the white sandy beaches, the aquamarine waters, a boat ride, a camping spot, a tour of an old fort, or a place to fish.

Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area

• The River bore the alluvial plain that is the Mississippi Delta, and the Delta bore fruit: the Blues; Welty, Wright, and Williams; Civil War and Civil Rights; the Great Flood, Bogues and Bayous; Plantations; the Great Migration; Rock ?n? Roll; Soul Food; King Cotton; The River; Precision Agriculture; Catfish, Gospel; Immigrants' Stories; Highway 61; Segregation; Integration; Share Cropping; Freedom Songs; Freedom Summer; Folk Tales; Swamp Forests; Hunting Clubs; and, surprisingly, the hot tamale.

Vicksburg National Military Park

• "Vicksburg is the nail head that holds the South's two halves together." "Vicksburg is the key." Two statements, two Presidents, both aware of the importance of the city on the Mississippi River. President Davis knew it was vital to hold the city for the Confederacy to survive. President Lincoln wanted the key to gain control of the river and divide the South. Vicksburg National Military Park commemorates this campaign and its significance as a critical turning point of the Civil War.

 

Are you interested in other historic maritime resources in Mississippi? We have information about historic lighthouses and light stations.