Justice on the Mississippi: The Golden Age of Steamboats.

The article focuses on the golden age of steamboats on the Mississippi River during the early 19th century, highlighting their transformative impact on transportation, commerce, and culture. It describes the luxurious "floating palaces" that served as venues for entertainment and gambling, where professional gamblers operated with marked cards under the tacit approval of captains who held near-absolute authority. The piece also addresses the complex racial dynamics aboard steamboats, noting that employment offered rare opportunities for free Black Americans despite segregation and violence. Ultimately, the decline of steamboats came with increased regulation, law enforcement, and the rise of railroads, which supplanted river travel.