Education.—There are about 800,000 school children in the State. There is no compulsory school law. Separate schools are maintained for white and colored children, and in recent years the legislature was somewhat backward in passing laws tending to improve educa tional conditions, but beginning with 1910 several important measures have been passed. These included provisions for consolidation of schools, the estab lishment of agricultural high schools, and the creation of a text book commis sion and of a supervisor of elementary rural schools. There is a normal school at Hattiesburg, and a normal school for colored students at Shelby. The institu tions for higher education include the University of Mississippi, Mississippi Agricultural and Mechanical College, Mississippi College, and 1VIillsaps Col lege. There are also several colleges for women.
Churches.—The strongest denomina tions in the State are the Regular Bap tist, colored; Regular Baptist, Methodist Episcopal, South African Methodist; Methodist Episcopal; Roman Catholic; Presbyterian, South; Cumberland Pres byterian; Disciples of Christ, and Prot estant Episcopal.
Charities and Corrections.—The char itable and correctional institutions in clude the State Charitable Hospital at Jackson, State Charitable Hospital at Vicksburg, State Charitable Hospital at Natchez, State Insane Asylum at Asy lum, and State Charitable Asylum at Meridian.
Railroads.—The railway mileage in the State was 4,480. The principal railroads are the Illinois Central, 679 miles, the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley, 1,144, and the Mobile and Ohio, 315.
State Government.—The governor is elected for a term of four years. Legis lative sessions are held quadrennially, be ginning on Tuesday after the first Mon day of January, and are unlimited as to length of session. The legislature is Democratic. There are 7 representatives in Congress. The State government in 1920 was Democratic.
History.—Mississippi was originally part of the colony of Louisiana, being settled by the French in 1716. In 1728 the settlers were nearly exterminated by the Indians, and in 1763 the territory was ceded to Great Britain. At the end of the Revolution it became a territory of the United States, and was admitted to the Union as a Federal State Dec. 10, 1817. In 1861 it passed an ordinance of secession, took a prominent part in the Civil War, and finally, in February, 1870, was readmitted to representation in Con gress, after ratifying the 15th amend ment. Amendments to the State consti tution were made in 1875 and 1877. Since the war the State has made much progress, and has entered a state of con tinued prosperity.