State Historical Society of Iowa

Des Moines Rapids of the Mississippi River Map, 1843

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Courtesy of Library of Congress, "No.1 Map of the Des Moines Rapids of the Mississippi River," Collection of Maps, Charts, Drawings, Surveys, Etc., Published from Time to Time, By Order of the Two Houses of Congress, pp. 187, 1843

Description

This map was part of a collection of maps, drawings, and surveys of North America, the United States, and the world created by order of the U.S. Congress in 1843. It depicts the four parts of the Des Moines Rapids, which were located between Ft. Madison and Keokuk, Iowa, and just southwest of Nauvoo, Illinois. The rapids were a major obstacle to steamboat traffic on the Mississippi River and attempts to make them navigable started in 1837, led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers under the leadership of Robert E. Lee. Note: What is now Iowa is labeled the "Wisconsin Territory.

Source Dependent Questions

  • What was the primary reason for creating this map? Identify evidence from the source to support your answer.
  • Use this map to explain how geography was, at times, a barrier to early settlement and economic growth in Iowa.
  • Who do you think should have been considered responsible for making these rapids navigable? Private citizens or the government? Why?

Citation Information

"No.1 Map of the Des Moines Rapids of the Mississippi River," Collection of Maps, Charts, Drawings, Surveys, Etc., Published from Time to Time, By Order of the Two Houses of Congress, pp. 187, 1843. Courtesy of Library of Congress Courtesy of Library of Congress

State Historical Society of Iowa

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