Nuances of Writing a Research Paper on the Longest River in North America

Writing a research essay is always a challenge, let alone if it is on the longest river in the country. Students have to approach this topic from a scholarly perspective rather than just describe the beauty and power of the river.  The goal is to provide the most relevant and important research paper content on the most well-known and the largest river in the US – Missouri.  Our professional essay writing service team has covered all the key facts about the largest river in the US. You can rely on it while writing your own research paper if you need a high-quality example.

What Do We Know About the Largest River in North America?

The Missouri River is the largest river in North America. The source of the Missouri River is in the Rocky Mountains and the Eastern Centennial Mountains, and it flows southwards and eastwards right into the Mississippi River in the territory of the State of Missouri. The Missouri River length is over 2.3 thousand miles, and it drains a territory of over 500 thousand miles.  The Missouri River is considered a tributary of the Mississippi River, yet, it is much longer and much more important for the ecosystem than the Mississippi. Still, they both form the fourth largest river system in the world.

Except for the fact that Missouri’s watershed was the place where Native Americans settled years ago, the river also became one of the most important routes of the westward expansion of the United States. It was the main trade route with dozens of ships transporting goods daily sailing in its waters. Later, the basin and the tributaries of the Missouri River were developed for irrigation and electric generation purposes. The power of headwaters of the Missouri River is heavily used by the agricultural and manufacturing sector, which, of course, affects the river’s wildlife and fish population.

First People on Missouri River

The upper Missouri River used to be a place called home by Native American tribes. These are the Blackfeet, Hidatsa, and Crow peoples, as well as many others. The mouth of the river was first discovered and studied by French explorers. They, and many other expeditions, later found the Ponca tribe and Fort Peck tribes living nearby the source of the river and its mouth, respectively. These peoples procured themselves with fish and wild meat and had enough water to live in these places for years. Today, many settlements along the Missouri River are deemed as the US historical sites and cultural heritage.

The Mni Sose Intertribal Water Rights Coalition

The whole river is how heavily exploited. This couldn’t but affect the quality of its waters and its wildlife. In 1993, the Ponca tribes, along with many other tribes, including the Assiniboine tribe, formed a coalition to protect their rights on the use of the Missouri river’s water. This coalition was named “The Mni Sose Intertribal Water Rights Coalition.”  This organization, headed by the Ponca Indian tribe, is non-profit. It exists to guarantee that native American tribes living in the Missouri River’s basin can access and use the waters. Through the coalition, the Ponca tribe of Nebraska strives to serve justice to Native Americans and their rights to economic growth and development using the Missouri River’s power and resources.

American Frontier on the Missouri River

The tributaries of the Missouri River roughly defined American borders in the 19th century. The area known as Boonslick attracted many Europeans who fled to America looking for a better life. The length of Missouri River was enough for Native Americans, slave-owning southerners, and European settlers to live along its shores. They were developing infrastructure, trading, exploring new lands, and fighting for a better life. Yet, obviously, the peaceful co-existence couldn’t last long. This period of American history is full of wars between native peoples and European settlers over territories and resources. There were bloodshed, partisan wars, hostility, and tensions between those who owned the lands by custom and those who were bringing civilization to them.

Ecology of the Longest River in America

The active anthropologic activity is sure to be affecting the waters of the Missouri River tributaries for centuries. Today its ecology and biodiversity barely resemble those that existed a few hundreds of years ago. It started changing with the climate changes. Yet, it was mainly affected by the industrialization of the 20th century. Dams, irrigation, chemicals, and other factors led several species to extinction and decreased the longest river’s waters quality.

Important Facts about Missouri River

Based on the facts above, here is what you need to know to write impressive research paper notes on the longest river in North America. Ironically, the largest river in America is actually a tributary to the Mississippi River. Together, they form the fourth largest river system in the world. Secondly, Native American tribes settled along the whole Missouri River length, benefitting from its resources. They managed to live in peace with each other. French explorers studied the river, which later brought dozens of European settlers to this place. Peaceful coexistence with native tribes couldn’t last long. It provided grounds for long-lasting conflicts with military engagement (weapons were brought by Europeans). Today, the Missouri River is heavily exploited by people for industrial and agricultural purposes. Its wildlife and chemical properties have been forever changed.

Key Takeaways

Writing a research paper on the longest river in the US, one has to remember that they should write a scholarly paper rather than a descriptive essay. Look into its history, find the main facts, analyze the peoples that lived along its banks. For example, the Ponca tribe of Nebraska or any other Missouri River tribe. Also, it’s essential to pay attention to the use of the waters, their chemical properties, and wildlife. It matters to mention how the power of water has been exploited and what effect it has on the river, people living nearby, and the ecology. But don't forget that you can place an order and pay for your paper on EssayHub and you will have no more troubles with writing this type of paper.