THE YAZOO

by Frank E. Smith ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 6, 1954

This 48th volume in the Rivers of America series tells the story of cotton's last stronghold in the old South, since mechanized cotton is now being produced largely in California. The Yazoo is a tributary of the Mississippi, the largest besides the Ohio, and, except for 190 miles in Tennessee, it flows entirely through the state of Mississippi. The romance in its history is centered largely in the incredibly fertile Delta where the longest staple cotton known is produced. The Choctaws and Chickasaws were willing enough to cede the malarial land (Yazoo means river of death) so plantation life was established early and survived there longer; machinery produced cotton is still in small proportion to other areas; famous sons range from outspoken Senator Williams to Chief Le Flore, a violent abolutionist who demanded he be buried wrapped in the Union flag; the tales of fish and hunting are first rate. The folk ways and spirituals of the Negroes of the region are not as well handled as the rest of the book, which has a deep knowledge of its subject and provides competent coverage but which does not have the sweep and verve of some of the previous titles in this series.

Pub Date: May 6, 1954

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Rinehart

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1954

Categories: NONFICTION