Jackson Mississippi is the capital as well as being the most densely populated city in Mississippi and the county seat of Hinds County Mississippi.
In point of fact there are two county seats of this county, with the other being Raymond.
The Jackson-Yazoo City combined statistical area, consisting of the Jackson metropolitan area and Yazoo City micropolitan area, had a population of 557,385.
Mississippi was famous for its old plantations
he area that is now Jackson was originally called Parkerville and was settled by a French Canadian trader, Louis LeFleur,along the historic Natchez Trace trade route. The area became known as LeFleur’s Bluff. LeFleur’s Bluff was originally founded based on the need for a centrally located capital for the state of Mississippi.
Despite its small population, during the Civil War, Jackson became a center of manufacturing for the Confederate States of America.
In 1863, during the campaign which ended in the capture of Vicksburg, Union forces captured Jackson during two battles—once before the fall of Vicksburg and once after the fall of Vicksburg.
On May 13, 1863, Union forces won the first Battle of Jackson, forcing Confederate forces to flee northward towards Canton.
Mississippi River Bridge and Steamboats
On May 15, Union troops under the command of William Tecumseh Sherman burned and looted key facilities in Jackson, a strategic manufacturing and railroad center for the Confederacy. After driving the Confederate forces out of Jackson, Union forces turned west once again and engaged the Vicksburg defenders at the Battle of Champion Hill in nearby Edwards. The siege of Vicksburg began soon after the Union victory at Champion Hill. Confederate forces began to reassemble in Jackson in preparation for an attempt to break through the Union lines surrounding Vicksburg and end the siege there. The Confederate forces in Jackson built defensive fortifications encircling the city while preparing to march west to Vicksburg.
Jackson remained a small town for most of the entire 19th century. Large-scale growth, however, did not come until the 1970s, after the Civil Rights Movement.
The 1980 census counted over 200,000 residents in the city for the first time. Since then, Jackson has steadily seen a decline in its population, while its suburbs have evidenced a boom.
The Mississippi River
The areas surrounding Jackson are a paradise for the outdoors person, with fishing, hunting and hiking opportunities galore, while the city itself has some immense offerings as well.
* Celtic Heritage Society of Mississippi
* Mississippi Symphony Orchestra
* Municipal Art gallery
* Ballet Mississippi
* Mississippi Museum of Art
* Russell C. Davis Planetarium
* Mississippi Opera
* Mississippi Chorus
* New Stage Theatre
* Mississippi Hispanic Association
* Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance
* Mississippi Heritage Trust
* Mississippi Art Center
* Smith-Robertson Museum and Cultural Center
* Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum
* Mynelle Gardens
* Jackson State University Botanical Garden
* Jackson Zoo
Jackson is home to many sights that are well worth seeing, including some of the battlefields of the Civil war, along with:
The Alamo Theater
Boddi Mansion
Medgar Evers Statue
Old State Capital
Municipal Art Gallery
Davis Planetarium
Space Theater
Oaks House Museum
Chimneyville Crafts Gallery
Mississippi Department of Archives and History
Jackson Zoo
Mississippi Farmer’s MarketWithin an easy drive of Jackson you can find the following battlefields and parks:
* Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site near Baldwyn
* Gulf Islands National Seashore
* Natchez National Historical Park in Natchez
* Natchez Trace Parkway
* Tupelo National Battlefield in Tupelo
* Vicksburg National Military Park and Cemtary in Vicksburg
