Before They Went West: Engineers, Bureaucrats, and Developers in the Lower Mississippi Valley

An exploration of how the federal government came to take the lead in developing and re-engineering the natural environment of the Lower Mississippi Valley. This colloquium will examine three related subjects: Theories of river mechanics, devised and debated by hydrologists, engineers, and landowners, from the French colonial era to the present; the debate and concerns within Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas over the 19th century, concerning the role of government versus private interests, in managing flood control; the significance of the Civil War and Reconstruction in opening the door to massive federal involvement in flood control and development, at the behest of the states and private interests.

It is suspected that many private and public officials active in the Lower Mississippi Valley also had interests in the West, and took their experiences at controlling water in the first region with them into the other. Thus, comparisons will be drawn between South and West, in the form of suggestions and unanswered questions.

Christopher Morris will lead the colloquium. He received his B.A. and M.A. from the University of Western Ontario and his Ph.D. from the University of Florida. He is currently an Affiliate at the Stanford Humanities Center.