The plague began to spread through European ports (city on the water)
He advised other leaders to give up the mantel so can choose a multitude of people to be their leaders.
Because New Orleans was a very important trading port. New Orleans is very important for importing and exporting goods. Mississippi River was a major transportation for settlers and good to ship items east.
If you don't graduate, well then you don't graduate. But it will be harder to get a job and make income. So i suggest to finish highschool. It gets easier. :)
This movement is called the Great Migration.