Study Group Details
1750: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927: A Tale of Greed, Incompetence, and Inhumanity
Thursday9:45 - 11:15
Starting June 05
In-Person
Humans had tried to tame and exploit the Mississippi River for centuries. As author John Barry writes, "The struggle began as one of man against nature. It became one of man against man. For the flood brought with it also a human storm. Honor and money collided. White and black collided. Regional and national power structures collided. The collisions shook America." Through a combination of hubris, incompetence, and greed, these attempts to tame a river were a spectacular failure culminating in the great flood disasters of 1927. We will explore this pivotal event in American history which exposed deep divides in the fabric of our society.
This study group is new
Class Type: Lecture and Discussion
Class Format: In-Person
Hours of Reading: No required reading
Study Group Leader(s):
Tamara Belden
Tammy Belden received her bachelor's degree from Tulane University and went to graduate school in cultural anthropology at the University of Texas-Austin. She worked at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC for 30 years and, since retiring, has lectured as well as guided tours of the DC area speaking on a variety of topics in American history.