Ship Island Research Paper

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Allison Tutor Mr. Rolison 2113 U.S. History I 13 October 2015 Title Ship Island is an island located near the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. Ship Island, today, is used for recreation and vacation. Its location has beautiful beaches and pure blue water. Ship Island visitors also like taking a peek at Fort Massachusetts, a brick fort that was completed in 1866. The Island is about seven miles long and 1,350 acres. Many people only see the vacation part of this island, but not many know the history behind it. Ship Island is beneficial for people now, but it was also beneficial in the past, because it was a base for several people and for several reasons. It all began in 1699, when French explorers happened to pass by the Island on their ships, searching for the Mississippi River. Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville was the first person to discover Ship Island. The French thought about how they could anchor…show more content…
People who stayed on Ship Island would write back to their families about what it was like staying on the Island, during the Civil War. Because most people were not used to the heat, the thunderstorms, or the inscets on the Island, many people would complain. When the Union took over Ship Island, it was also used as a camp for prisoners (James G. Hollingsworth Jr.). The first prisoners were the confederates and they arrived in 1865 (Civil War Trust). The confederates were not the only prisoners locked away on the Island, though. Union soldiers who committed crimes were also held there. In April of 1865, the camps grew to its highest point, with over 3,000 prisoners (James G. Hollingsworth Jr.). Because there were so many people on the Island, different health issues became a problem and diseases spread around quickly and killed lots of people. By June of that same year, there were not any more prisoners on Ship
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