Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Money Videos
Clarksdale
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics
Images & Videos
Clarksdale, Mississippi
Hear a discussion of the origin of the blues and the Delta Blues Museum, Clarksdale, Mississippi
Read Next
Close up of a hand placing a ballot in a ballot box. Election vote voter voting
Have Any U.S. Presidents Decided Not to Run For a Second Term?
Washington, D.C. locator map.
What State Is Washington, D.C. In?
The United States Supreme Court building, Washington, D.C.
14 Questions About Government in the United States Answered
Bar graph of the United States Death Toll during major events. Infogram chart.
U.S. Death Toll During Major Events
The Battle of New Orleans, by E. Percy Moran, c. 1910. Andrew Jackson, War of 1812.
26 Decade-Defining Events in U.S. History
Discover
The Cheshire Cat is a fictional cat from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. (Alice in Wonderland)
11 Banned Books Through Time
United States electoral college map showing number of electoral votes by state.
How Does the Electoral College Work?
Portrait of a mountain gorilla at a short distance. gorilla close up portrait.The mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei)
Falling Stars: 10 of the Most Famous Endangered Species
American bison (Bison bison) also known as buffalo or plains buffalo on the prairie, western U.S.
What’s the Difference Between Bison and Buffalo?
Close-up of tobacco plants in Ontario, Canada. Tobacco, Nicotiana, cured leaves used after processing in various ways for smoking, snuffing, chewing, and extracting of nicotine.
7 of the World’s Deadliest Plants
Snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) with its Summer coat on the left side and its winter coat on the right.
7 Animals That Turn White in Winter
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart rehearsing his 12th Mass with singer and musician. (Austrian composer. (Johann Chrysostom Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
7 Famous Child Prodigies
Clarksdale, Mississippi
Clarksdale, Mississippi

Clarksdale

Mississippi, United States
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/place/Clarksdale
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Print
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/place/Clarksdale
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Also known as: Clarksville
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Article History

Clarksdale, city, seat (1892) of Coahoma county, northwestern Mississippi, U.S. It is situated in the Mississippi River valley and lies along the Sunflower River, about 75 miles (120 km) south-southwest of Memphis, Tennessee. It was settled in 1848 by John Clark on a Native American fortification site; in 1868 he opened a store and laid out a village, which was originally named Clarksville.

Hear a discussion of the origin of the blues and the Delta Blues Museum, Clarksdale, Mississippi
Hear a discussion of the origin of the blues and the Delta Blues Museum, Clarksdale, MississippiA discussion of the origins of the blues, from the documentary The Blues Lives On! The Delta Blues Museum.
See all videos for this article

Clarksdale lies at the northern end of the Mississippi Delta region of the state, noted for its rich soil, and the city is a processing and distribution center for the surrounding agricultural region (cotton, soybeans, rice, wheat, sorghum, and peanuts [groundnuts]). Manufactures include rubber products, mobile homes, cabinets, farm equipment, and wire. Tourism is also important (especially since the mid-1990s, when gambling casinos were established). Sunflower Landing, 14 miles (23 km) west, is said to be the spot where the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto discovered the Mississippi River in 1541. Clarksdale was home to several famous blues musicians, notably John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters; the Delta Blues Museum is located there, and the Sunflower River Blues Festival is held in the city each August. Other annual events include the Delta Jubilee in June and the Tennessee Williams Festival in October. Coahoma Community College opened in 1949 in Clarksdale. Inc. 1882. Pop. (2000) 20,645; (2010) 17,962.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica