Exploring the Southern States: From History to Nature

1. Let's visit the... South Region

2. Where is the South? Have you been to any states in the South?

3. Howdy! I sure am glad you could come to the South for a visit. I’m takin’ a break from the rodeo and I’ll be glad to show you around for a while. We’ll be traveling on a bus – you’ll find out why later. Well, if you’ve got your ticket, I reckon’ we’re ready to go. Follow me.

4. Along with the coastal Northeastern states, the Southern states along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean were among the first areas for colonists to settle. In fact, the very first permanent English settlement was not Plymouth, it was in the South.

5. Stop #1: Virginia

6. Jamestown, Virginia Did you know that settlers landed in Jamestown 13 years before the pilgrims landed in Plymouth? There were 3 ships that sailed to Jamestown in 1607. They carried 214 people in all. Godspeed Susan Constant Discovery

7. Captain John Smith John Smith became the leader of the colony. He helped build a fort to keep the colony safe from the Algonquins, a Native American tribe who already lived in the area. The colonists soon made a Native American friend named Powhatan, who was willing to trade with them.

8. A New Crop The winter of 1609 was very harsh and most of the settlers decided to leave the colony. Only 60 of the 214 settlers stayed and survived the harsh winter. The English settlers who stayed learned to grow tobacco, which they sold to Native Americans and people back in England. Tobacco was easy to grow and brought them a lot of money. This money allowed the colony to grow.

9. It was pretty neat to see the first European settlement of Jamestown, Virginia. Now let’s take a look at some landforms the South shares with the Northeast.

10. Stop #2: Kentucky

11. The Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains stretch all the way from Canada to the state of Alabama.

12. The Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountain Range is the second largest mountain range in the United States. In fact, there are at least ten smaller mountain ranges that make up this large range of mountains. The Applachians have the deepest most forested mountains in the United States.

13. Coal Mining One of the biggest industries in Appalachia is coal mining. There are two types of coal mining—underground and surface mining. The majority of mining in Appalachia is underground mining. Underground mining is more difficult and requires more miners, but much of our best coal is underground. Both methods extract coal from the earth so we can use it as fuel. Underground mining is a hard and dangerous job. Click on the coal miner to watch a short video of coal miners in the Kentucky Appalachian Mountains.

14. Stop #3: Florida

15. Florida Everglades The Florida Everglades is a very unique ecosystem. It is a subtropical wilderness. It’s actually a river, or wetland, with slow moving water. Some call it a BIG swamp! Sometimes the Everglades is called “the river of grass”. This is because it is home to an unusual plant called sawgrass. In some areas the water is almost invisible because the sawgrass is so thick!

16. Animals of the Everglades The Everglades is home to many unique animals. It is home to sea turtles, manatees, panthers, egrets, crocodiles, alligators, and many more animals! Did you know that the Florida Everglades is the only place where alligators and crocodiles live side by side?

17. A National Park On December 6th, 1947 the Florida Everglades became a National Park. President Harry Truman declared it a National Park to protect its unique animals and plant life. President Harry Truman

18. We can’t leave Florida just yet. There’s another place I want to take you. Since the weather is so warm in the south, there are a lot of tourist attractions. Our next stop we’ll be “out of this world”.

19. Cape Canaveral, Florida One place tourists like to visit is The Kennedy Space Center. This is where NASA’s headquarters are located. You can come here to watch the space shuttles take off and land! Click on the space shuttle above to watch a real launch!

20. Orlando, Florida Another place tourists like to visit is Disneyworld! This is an amusement park filled with rides, shows, and experiences for children and adults.

21. Miami, Florida Finally, there are the many beaches along the coasts of Florida and other southeastern states. Because of the warm weather, many people visit the coasts of southern states to enjoy vacations.

22. I could relax in Florida for a while, but I do have to be gettin’ back to my rodeo soon. We’ve got a couple more stops to make. Next, we’re going to learn about some important people from the past.

23. Stop #4: Alabama

24. Montgomery, Alabama Montgomery is the capital city of Alabama. It is also known for its role in the Civil Rights Movement. The Civil Rights Movement was the fight for equal rights in the south. Can you think of some important people who had a role in this movement?

25. Martin Luther King, Jr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a pastor in Montgomery, Alabama. He led marches and gave speeches to inspire people to stand up for equal rights. He was assassinated in 1968, but we still honor him today and his birthday is a holiday for us.

26. Rosa Parks On December 1, 1965 Rosa Parks became a hero to many people. She refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man. This event finally led to the desegregation of the bus system. Today, we’re all able to take this tour on our bus thanks to Rosa Parks! Here is the picture of the actual bus she rode on.

27. We sure are grateful for the bravery and courage of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks! Let’s make one more stop before headin’ back to my home state. Ready to learn about some unique customs and traditions?

28. Stop #5: Louisiana

29. New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans’ nickname is “The Big Easy”. The state of Louisiana sits on the Gulf of Mexico and is shaped like a boot. Can you find the city of New Orleans? In 2005, Hurricane Katrina, one of the most destructive hurricanes ever, hit Louisiana. The city of New Orleans was hit the worst. More than 1, 800 people were killed by this storm and 700 were people who lived in New Orleans. New Orleans suffered major flooding. The flooding waters are what caused most of the damage to the city. Overall the hurricane cost $81.2 billion dollars in damage.

30. New Orleans New Orleans is the largest city in the state of Louisiana. It is a very old city founded in 1690 by the French. In fact, many of the streets are named after French Royalties. In 1793 the city was sold to the Spanish. The Spanish lost Louisiana in 1803 when America gained it through the Louisiana Purchase. The city became a mixture of many cultures.

31. Mardi Gras One of the most famous celebrations in Louisiana is Mardi Gras. Early explorers celebrated this French Holiday on the banks of the Mississippi River. Throughout the years parades and balls have been the main events of this celebration. Mardi Gras has quickly became an exciting holiday for both children and adults.

32. Mardi Gras Mardi Gras means “Fat Tuesday” and it is always celebrated 47 days before Easter, which means it is always on a Tuesday! The official colors of Mardi Gras are purple, green, and gold. Celebrations include parades with floats. The people riding on the floats throw out prizes such as beads, doubloons (coins), and trinkets to the crowd.

33. Mardi Gras Another tradition on Mardi Gras is to bake a King Cake. A King Cake is an oval cake decorated in Mardi Gras colors. A small doll is baked into each cake. Once served, everyone waits to see who has the doll in their slice of cake. Tradition says that whoever finds the doll will have good luck. This person will also be responsible for bringing the King Cake to the next party.

34. Well now, that sure was fun! They really know how to celebrate in New Orleans! It’s a good thing I didn’t eat too much King Cake because the rodeo is about to begin. Come on, let’s hurry…

35. Stop #6: Texas

36. Texas Texas is sometimes called the “Longhorn State”. Many people think Texas is the largest state in the U.S., but it’s really the 2nd largest. Do you know which state is the largest?

37. The Alamo One of the most well known sites in Texas is the Alamo. It started out as a Spanish Mission, a church compound where Spanish priests and their Indian converts lived and worked.

38. Battles at the Alamo The Alamo is best known for the battles that were fought there in 1836. The Alamo played an important role in the Texas Revolution. Click on the picture of the Alamo to play an “Alamo Memory Game”.

39. Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of Texas. Did you know that Texas has the largest capital building of all the states? In fact, the capital building of Texas is 15 feet taller than our nation’s capital in Washington, D.C.! Click the capital to take a tour!

40. Austin, Texas Austin, Texas is also known as “The Live Music City Capital of the World”. There is always somewhere to go to listen to “music of the south” – country or blues. Guitars and banjoes are used in many country songs. Click on the banjo player above to hear a country song by George Strait. Harmonicas are an instrument used in blues music. Click on the harmonica player above to hear a blues song by BB King.

41. Well, I sure did enjoy takin’ you around the South. I hope you enjoyed your trip. I have to get back to the rodeo for now. I hear you have another region to visit, so you better be on your way too.