History of Mississippi in Timeline

Mississippi is a state in the Southeastern United States, bordering Tennessee, Alabama, the Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana, and Arkansas. The Mississippi River largely defines its western boundary. It is the 32nd largest and 35th most populous state, but has the lowest per-capita income. Jackson is the capital and largest city; other major cities include Gulfport, Southaven, and Hattiesburg. Greater Jackson is the most populous metropolitan area.

1900: Social Gospel movement

By 1900, many white ministers in Mississippi, especially in the towns, subscribed to the Social Gospel movement.

1900: Black population

In 1900, blacks made up more than half of Mississippi's population.

1900: Black Farm Ownership

In 1900, two-thirds of farm owners in Mississippi were black.

1908: Mississippi becomes a dry state

In 1908, Mississippi became a dry state by an act of the state legislature.

1910: Chinese Immigrants in Mississippi

Between 1910 and 1930, most Chinese families came to Mississippi from other states and operated small family-owned groceries stores in the many small towns of the Delta.

1910: Black farmers losing land

By 1910, a majority of black farmers in the Delta region of Mississippi had lost their land and became sharecroppers.

1912: Cotton crop failure

In 1912, cotton crops failed due to boll weevil infestation and severe flooding, creating crisis conditions for African Americans.

1912: Flooding damage

In 1912, flooding overwhelmed northwestern Mississippi, causing heavy damage to the levee districts.

1912: Devastating Floods

In 1912–1913, Mississippi suffered devastating floods.

1913: Devastating Floods

In 1912–1913, Mississippi suffered devastating floods.

1913: Cotton crop failure

In 1913, cotton crops failed due to successive severe flooding, creating crisis conditions for many African Americans.

1913: Flooding damage

In 1913, flooding overwhelmed northwestern Mississippi, causing heavy damage to the levee districts.

1913: Start of the Great Migration

Starting about 1913, tens of thousands of black Americans began to leave Mississippi for the North in the Great Migration.

1917: National flood control bills

In 1917, national bills were passed to provide federal matching funds for local levee districts.

August 1920: Nineteenth Amendment

By August 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution had already entered into force granting women the right to vote.

1920: Collapse of Cotton Prices

After the Civil War, the state relied on agriculture which grew increasingly costly as the state suffered loss of cotton crops due to the devastation of the boll weevil in the early 20th century, devastating floods in 1912–1913 and 1927, collapse of cotton prices after 1920, and drought in 1930.

1920: African Americans facing poverty

By 1920, most African Americans in Mississippi were landless laborers again facing poverty, marking the third generation after freedom.

1923: National flood control bills

In 1923, national bills were passed to provide federal matching funds for local levee districts.

1923: NAACP on violence

In 1923, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People stated that the Negro feels that life is not safe in Mississippi.

1927: Devastating Floods

1927: Great Mississippi Flood

In 1927, the Great Mississippi Flood broke through levees, causing massive flooding of 27,000 square miles throughout the Delta, homelessness for hundreds of thousands, and millions of dollars in property damages.

1930: Drought

1930: Chinese Immigrants in Mississippi

Between 1910 and 1930, most Chinese families came to Mississippi from other states and operated small family-owned groceries stores in the many small towns of the Delta.

1930: Mississippi population

In 1930, Mississippi's population was at 2 million people.

1930: Highest recorded temperature

In 1930, the highest recorded temperature in Mississippi was 115 °F at Holly Springs.

1930: Lynchings of African Americans

Through the period of the 1890s and extending to 1930, whites increased violence against blacks, with lynchings occurring during this time.

1940: Migration of African Americans

During the migration of 1910-1940, African Americans left a society that had been steadily closing off opportunity.

1954: Creation of Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission

In 1954, Mississippi created the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission to spy on activists and suppress black activism.

1960: Black population share

In 1960, African Americans made up 42% of Mississippi's population.

1964: Enactment of discriminatory civil rights laws

In 1964, Mississippi enacted discriminatory civil rights laws.

1964: Federal civil rights legislation

In 1964, federal civil rights legislation was passed, ending de jure segregation.

1964: Freedom Summer

In the summer of 1964, students and community organizers came to Mississippi to help register black voters in Mississippi and establish Freedom Schools.

1965: Federal civil rights legislation

In 1965, federal civil rights legislation enforced constitutional voting rights.

1965: Voting Rights Act

In 1965, the Voting Rights Act was passed by Congress following the murders of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner in 1964.

1966: Repeal of statewide prohibition

In 1966, Mississippi was the last state to repeal officially statewide prohibition of alcohol.

1966: Local option bill

In 1966, the Mississippi legislature passed a local option bill, ending the state's prohibition era.

1966: Lowest recorded temperature

In 1966, the lowest recorded temperature in Mississippi was -19 °F at Corinth.

1967: Black candidates in state and local elections

In 1967, black candidates ran in the elections for state and local offices.

1967: Loving v. Virginia ruling

In 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Loving v. Virginia that a similar Virginian law was unconstitutional.

August 17, 1969: Hurricane Camille hits Mississippi

On August 17, 1969, Category 5 Hurricane Camille hit the Mississippi coast, killing 248 people.

1969: Hurricane Camille

In 1969, Hurricane Camille devastated the state causing storm surge destruction around Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula.

1970: End of the Second Great Migration

The Second Great Migration from the South, which started in the 1940s, lasted until 1970.

1973: Presbyterian Church in America Attracts Congregations

In 1973, the Presbyterian Church in America attracted numerous conservative congregations.

1976: Robert G. Clark

In 1976, Robert G. Clark continued as the only African American in the Mississippi state legislature.

1980: English Ancestry in Mississippi

In the 1980 U.S. census, 656,371 Mississippians identified as being of English ancestry, making them 38% of the state at the time.

March 1984: Ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment

In March 1984, Mississippi ratified the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

1987: Repeal of ban on interracial marriage

In 1987, Mississippi repealed its ban on interracial marriage, which had been enacted in 1890.

1989: Repeal of poll tax

In 1989, Mississippi repealed the segregationist-era poll tax.

1990: English Spoken at Home

In 1990, 97.2% of Mississippi residents five years old and older spoke only English in the home.

1995: Ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment

In 1995, the state symbolically ratified the Thirteenth Amendment, which had abolished slavery in 1865.

1999: Obesity in Children

A 1999 survey suggested that a third of children in Mississippi were obese, with higher ratios for those in the Delta.

2000: Increase in Same-Sex Unmarried-Partner Households

By 2000 the United States Census reported around 4,774 same-sex unmarried-partner households in Mississippi.

2000: Decline in English Spoken at Home

In 2000, 96.4% of Mississippi residents five years old and older spoke only English in the home, a decrease from 97.2% in 1990.

2000: Increase in Mixed-Race Identification

In 2000, the United States Census Bureau reported that Mississippi experienced the highest rate of increase in people identifying as mixed-race, marking the beginning of a decade of growth in mixed marriages.

2002: Obesity in African-American Adolescents

A 2002 report on African-American adolescents noted a 1999 survey which suggests that a third of children were obese, with higher ratios for those in the Delta.

August 29, 2005: Hurricane Katrina hits Mississippi

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina caused destruction across the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

2005: Highest Rate of Obesity

From 2005 to 2008, Mississippi had the highest rate of obesity of any U.S. state.

2005: Hurricane Katrina

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated the state causing storm surge destruction around Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula.

2006: Perception of Childhood Obesity as a Serious Problem

A 2006 survey found nearly 95 percent of Mississippi adults considered childhood obesity to be a serious problem.

2006: Obesity Rate in Children

In a 2006 study, 22.8 percent of Mississippi's children were classified as obese.

2007: Mississippi Students Score Lowest on National Assessments

In 2007, Mississippi students scored the lowest of any state on the National Assessments of Educational Progress in both math and science.

2008: Religion in Daily Life

A 2008 Gallup poll found that 85% of Mississippians considered religion an important part of their daily lives.

2008: Health Rankings and Risk Factors

From 2005 to 2008, Mississippi had the highest rate of obesity of any U.S. state, and also ranked first in the nation for high blood pressure, diabetes, and adult inactivity. In a 2008 study of African-American women, risk factors were shown to be: lack of knowledge about body mass index (BMI), dietary behavior, physical inactivity and lack of social support.

2008: Mississippi Ranked Last in Academic Achievement

In 2008, Mississippi was ranked last among the fifty states in academic achievement according to the American Legislative Exchange Council's Report Card on Education. The state had the lowest average ACT scores and the sixth-lowest spending per pupil in the nation at the time.

2009: Repeal of discriminatory civil rights laws

In 2009, the legislature passed a bill to repeal other discriminatory civil rights laws, which had been enacted in 1964.

2009: Church Attendance

In a 2009 Gallup poll, 63% of Mississippians said that they attended church weekly or almost weekly.

2010: Religious Denominations in Mississippi

According to the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), in 2010 the Southern Baptist Convention had 907,384 adherents and was the largest religious denomination in the state, followed by the United Methodist Church with 204,165, and the Roman Catholic Church with 112,488.

2010: Presbyterian Church in America

As of 2010, Mississippi remained a stronghold of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), with the highest adherence rate of the PCA, having 121 congregations and 18,500 members.

2010: Increase in Mixed-Race Identification

By 2010, the United States Census Bureau reported that Mississippi had a 70 percent increase in people identifying as mixed-race over the decade, amounting to 1.1 percent of the population. Mississippi also led the nation in the growth of mixed marriages.

2010: Highest Proportion of African Americans

In 2010, Mississippi had the highest proportion of African Americans in the nation, with an increasing percentage due to a younger population.

2010: Same-Sex Households and Child Rearing

The 2010 United States census counted 6,286 same-sex unmarried-partner households in Mississippi, an increase of 1,512 since the 2000 United States census. Roughly 33% of those same-sex couples contained at least one child, giving Mississippi the distinction of leading the nation in the percentage of same-sex couples raising children.

2011: Minority Population Under Age 1

As of 2011, 53.8% of Mississippi's population younger than age 1 were minorities, meaning they had at least one parent who was not non-Hispanic white.

2011: Fewest Dentists Per Capita

In 2011, Mississippi (and Arkansas) had the fewest dentists per capita in the United States.

2013: Mississippi Students Below Grade Level

In 2013, Mississippi students were found to perform a full grade level below their peers around the country.

2014: Religious Denominations in Mississippi

According to the Pew Research Center in 2014, the Southern Baptist Convention remained the largest denomination in Mississippi, with evangelical Protestantism as the predominant Christian affiliation. Non-denominational Evangelicals were the second-largest, followed by historically African American denominations.

2014: Christian Population

By 2014, the Pew Research Center determined 83% of Mississippi's population was Christian.

2015: GDP Growth

In 2015, Mississippi's GDP growth was .5 percent.

2016: GDP Growth

In 2016, Mississippi's GDP growth was estimated to be 2.4 percent, marking two consecutive years of positive growth since the recession.

2017: Health Insurance Market Share

A 2017 study found that Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Mississippi was the leading health insurer with 53% followed by UnitedHealth Group at 13%.

2017: City Population Rankings of at least 10,000

As of 2017, the United States Census Bureau compiled Mississippi City Population Rankings of at least 10,000 but fewer than 20,000.

2018: Vascular plants project

As of 2018, a project funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation aims to update the checklist of vascular plants known from Mississippi.

2018: Top Countries of Origin for Immigrants

In 2018, the top countries of origin for Mississippi's immigrants were Mexico, Guatemala, India, the Philippines and Vietnam.

June 30, 2020: Removal of the Confederate battle flag

On June 30, 2020, Mississippi removed the Confederate battle flag as an official state symbol.

November 3, 2020: Flag Referendum

On November 3, 2020, the "New Magnolia" flag, was selected via referendum as part of the general election.

2020: Mississippi population

In 2020, Mississippi's population was at 2.9 million people.

2020: Greater Jackson population

In 2020, the Greater Jackson metropolitan area had a population of 591,978, making it the most populous metropolitan area in Mississippi.

2022: Homeless Population in Mississippi

In 2022, HUD's Annual Homeless Assessment Report estimated that there were 1,196 homeless people in Mississippi.

2022: Highest Teen Birth Rate

In 2022, Mississippi had the highest teen birth rate of any state, at 26.4 births per 1,000 females ages 15 to 19 years of age.

2022: Christian Population

In 2022, a Public Religion study revealed that 84% of Mississippi's population was Christian, spread throughout Protestants (74%), Catholics (8%), Jehovah's Witnesses (1%), and Mormons (1%).

2024: Mississippi Students Above Average

By 2024, Mississippi students were performing half a grade level above the average U.S. student due to policy, curriculum, and pedagogical changes at the state level.

2025: Gross State Product and Per Capita Income

In 2025, Mississippi's total gross state product was estimated to be $165 billion, and the per capita personal income was $54,531.

2025: Small Businesses

In 2025, small businesses made up 99.4% of all businesses in Mississippi, and employed 47.0% of the state's workforce.

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