Charting the American Bottom

The American Bottom stretches from the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers to the Kaskaskia River. This vast floodplain of the East St. Louis region witnessed the social and spatial aspirations of pre-contact Native Americans, 19th-century industrial expansion, 20th-century infrastructural consolidation and 21st-century ecological changes. The American Bottom Project us a new web-based initiative that connects the public with this region through inviting navigation and an intriguing narrative, as well as providing a continuously updated archive.

Join project directors Jesse Vogler and Matthew Fluharty, along with project photographer Jennifer Colten and web designer Jonathan Hanahan, as they share the story of the American Bottom.

Sponsored by the Divided City: An Urban Humanities Initiative.