{"id":11924,"date":"2023-12-24T11:40:06","date_gmt":"2023-12-24T10:40:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aboutriver.com\/?p=11924"},"modified":"2023-12-24T11:40:06","modified_gmt":"2023-12-24T10:40:06","slug":"when-did-spain-close-the-mississippi-river","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aboutriver.com\/when-did-spain-close-the-mississippi-river\/","title":{"rendered":"When Did Spain Close The Mississippi River"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

The Mississippi River is a fundamental component of the United States, flowing from Minnesota to Louisiana. It is the primary source of transportation, recreation, and trade for many people in the U.S. A crucial moment in the history of the Mississippi River occurred in 1788 when Spain, which then had a claim of the Mississippi River, closed it as a way to stop American migration. <\/p>\n

Historical records show that in 1778, after the Revolutionary War, Spanish King Charles III ordered the closure of the river to prevent western settlement. This was done in order to deter the growing population of Americans from pushing further westward into what would later become Spanish-controlled territory. <\/p>\n

The closure of the river greatly limited transportation options, preventing Americans in the west to access goods available in the east. This impacted their ability to form economies, as goods were hard to come by. This led to an increase in smuggling and illegal trade in order to acquire goods.<\/p>\n

In addition, the closure of the Mississippi River prevented ships from navigating the river, obstructing its sale as a viable shipping route. This caused many people in the Midwestern regions of the U.S. to suffer from a significant economic decline as they were not able to access goods through the river. <\/p>\n