Mound Bayou has had a significant impact on African American history and was known for three things: major cotton production; Louisville, New Orleans & Texas Railroad; and for being a place of safety for blacks in times of trouble and when seeking economic advancement.
Mound Bayou, which began as a swampland that was purchased by black slaves from whites, was thought to be useless and incapable of being farmed. However, the slaves cleared the swampland and made it both inhabitable and farmable. The slaves ploughed the once swampland, as well as planted and picked cotton on this land. The slaves eventually were able to live on this land and make a much better profit than any other black working for a white slave owner.
Mound Bayou was…show more content… It was an all black town, founded by all blacks, and run by blacks. This fact alone, made blacks feel safe and gave them a sense of hope and pride. The mayor of Mound Bayou, at the time, Isaiah Montgomery, was able to protect it from white violence, which also contributed to Mound Bayou flourishing as a town.
Louisville, New Orleans, & Texas (L, NO & T) Railroad was a new rail line between Memphis and Vicksburg. This rail line assisted in the transportation of goods to and from Mound Bayou. The new rail line brought more people to the area. By 1911, over 8,000 people resided in Mound Bayou, according to http://www.blackpast.org/aah/mound-bayou-1887.
Today, in 2015, Mound Bayou has lost some of its fame. While it is still predominantly black, it is not the economic power house that it used to be. I believe that the main reason for this is that times have changed and the cotton industry, for blacks, is not like it used to be. After the Great Migration from 1915-1930, cotton prices fell and the path towards freedom moved from independent towns toward major cities in the United States. Lastly, with the invention of the internet, more frequent use of airplanes, and greater means of communication, the rail line is not the major means of transportation of goods any