Control of the Mississippi River was important to both sides during the American Civil War. The North wanted to control the river and split the Confederacy in two. ... Cities and industries have grown up along the banks of the Mississippi because it is a natural waterway fro transporting goods.
City dwellers faced the noise, dirt, and crime of the cities, the hardships of factory work, and the overcrowded, dangerous conditions of tenements.
Governments and city planners tried to alleviate dangerous conditions and make cities better, safer places to live.
