NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Friends of the Cabildo will host its annual symposium Friday, December 6th and Saturday, December 7th entitled The Mississippi River: A River of Commerce, Controversy, and Control. The Mississippi River was formed over 4,000 years ago, but over the last 300 years the river has provided the New World and the United States with levels of commerce that rivals the Nile and Amazon Rivers. Despite being the trading hub for over 10 states, the river still produces controversy and catastrophes. The river was born as a naturally flowing body of water and over the last 100 years that harnessing of the river has provided unprecedented levels of trade and destruction. The Friends of the Cabildo Symposium will investigate the river, specifically, the 19th and 20th century and the impact on New Orleans and southern Louisiana. The talks will also look at the environmental impacts of the harnessing of the river in the early 20th century and where the river will be in the 21st century and beyond.
The symposium kicks off on Friday, De. 6 at with a lecture by John Barry, author of Rising Tide. Saturday, December 7th the symposium continues with lectures from Torbjörn E. Törnqvist from Tulane University, Dr. Craig Colten from LSU, John Magill formerly of the HNOC, Aron Chang from Tulane University, and a panel discussion with river pilots.
Tickets are on sale now at www.friendsofthecabildo.org. Don’t miss out on this exciting event! For more information, please contact Jason Strada at 504.523.3939 or jason@friendsofthecabildo.org.
