Memphis is in the southwest corner of Tennessee near the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers. Memphis (pop. 676,640) is the largest city in Tennessee.  A resident of Memphis is referred to as a Memphian and the Memphis region is known, particularly to media outlets, as the "Mid-South". 

In the 20th Century, Memphis grew into the world's largest spot cotton market and the world's largest hardwood lumber market. During the 1960's, the city was at the center of civil rights issues, notably the location of a sanitation workers' strike. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, at the Lorraine Motel, the day after giving his prophetic I've Been to the Mountaintop speech at the Mason Temple.

Memphis is well known for its cultural contributions to the identity of the American south. Many renowned musicians grew up in and around the Memphis and Mississippi Delta, including such musical greats as Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Muddy Waters, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, B.B. King, Isaac Hayes, Booker T. Jones, Al Green, and many others.

Little Rock (pop. 685,488) is the capital and the largest city in Arkansas. Located near the geographic center of Arkansas, Little Rock derives its name from a small rock formation on the south bank of the Arkansas River called la Petite Roche (French: "the little rock"). The "little rock" was used by early river traffic as a landmark and became a well-known river crossing. Little Rock is home to The William J. Clinton Presidential Center.  Also notable is that Douglas MacArthur (1880–1964), who was Supreme Commander of Allied forces in the South West Pacific Area during World War II, was born in Little Rock.

Dallas (pop. 1.3 million) is the 3rd largest city in Texas and the 9th largest in the USA. The city has a total area of 385 square miles. Dallas makes up one-fifth of the much larger urbanized area known as the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex, in which one quarter of all Texans Live.  Founded in 1841 and formally incorporated as a city in February, 1856, the city's economy is primarily based on banking, commerce, telecommunications, computer technology, energy, and transportation; and it is home to several Fortune 500 companies.  The city's prominence arose from its historical importance as a center for the oil and cotton industries, its position along numerous railroad lines, and a strong industrial and financial sector.

Here are some fun facts about Dallas:  (1) The frozen margarita machine was invented in Dallas; (2) With the roof enclosed, the entire Statue of Liberty could fit into the new Cowboys Stadium.
(3) The Dallas Arts District is the largest urban arts district in the United States; (4) The first convenience store, 7-eleven, got its start in Dallas and the corporation is headquartered there today;
(5) Celebrities from the area include Angie Harmon, Luke and Owen Wilson, Lee Trevino, Norah Jones, Erykah Badu, and Jessica Simpson; (6) The Dallas area is the largest metropolitan area in the nation not on a navigable body of water; (7) The Dallas Public Library permanently displays one of the original copies of the Declaration of Independence, printed on July 4, 1776, and the First Folio of William Shakespeare’s “Comedies, Histories & Tragedies.”; and (8) * The Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex is home to 41 of the richest Americans.

Houston (pop. 2.3 million) is the fourth-largest city in the USA and the largest city in Texas. Houston was founded on August 30, 1836, by brothers Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen on land near the banks of Buffalo Bayou.[6] The city was incorporated on June 5, 1837, and named after then-President of the Republic of Texas—former General Sam Houston—who had commanded at the Battle of San Jacinto, which took place 25 miles (40 km) east of where the city was established. The burgeoning port and railroad industry, combined with oil discovery in 1901, has induced continual surges in the city's population. In the mid-twentieth century, Houston became the home to NASA's Johnson Space Center, where the Mission Control Center is located.

Houston's economy has a broad industrial base in the energy, manufacturing, aeronautics, transportation, and health care sectors and is a leading center for building oilfield equipment.  Only New York City is home to more Fortune 500 headquarters in the city limits.  The Port of Houston ranks first in the United States in international waterborne tonnage handled and second in total cargo tonnage handled.

Baton Rouge (pop. 229,553) is the capital and second-largest city in Louisiana. Baton Rouge is located in the southeast portion of the state along the Mississippi River. It owes its historical importance to its site upon Istrouma Bluff, the first bluff upriver from the Mississippi River Delta, which protects the city’s residents from flooding, hurricanes, and other natural disasters. In addition to this natural barrier, the city has built a levee system stretching from the bluff southward to protect the riverfront and low-lying agricultural areas.

Baton Rouge is a major industrial, medical, and research center of the American South. The Port of Baton Rouge is the ninth largest in the United States in terms of tonnage shipped.  In the 1950s and 1960s, Baton Rouge experienced a boom in the petrochemical industry, causing the city to expand away from the original center. In recent years, however, government and business have begun a move back to the central district. A building boom that began in the 1990s continues today, with multi-million dollar projects for quality of life improvements and new construction happening all over the city. In the 2000s, Baton Rouge has proven to be one of the fastest growing cities in the South in terms of technology.  Baton Rouge's population temporarily exploded after Hurricane Katrina as many as 200,000 displaced residents fled there.

New Orleans (a.k.a "The Big Easy", "The Crescent City" and "N'Awlins) is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA.

The city is named after Philippe d' Orléans, Duke of Orléans, Regent of France, and is well known for its distinct French Creole architecture, as well as its cross cultural and multilingual heritage. New Orleans is also famous for its cuisine, music (particularly as the birthplace of jazz), and its annual celebrations and festivals, most notably Mardi Gras. The city is often referred to as the "most unique city in America".

New Orleans is called "The Crescent City" because the city proper is shaped like a crescent as it borders the meandering Mississippi River. The nickname "The Big Easy" comes from the city's history of jazz and was the name of a dance hall in the early 1900s.

Mississippi is named for the Mississippi river which forms its western boundary and empties into the Gulf of Mexico. The name roughly translated from Native American folklore means "Father of Waters." The translation comes from the Chippewa words "mici zibi" meaning "great river" or "gathering in of all the waters" and the Algonquin word "Messipi".

Mississippi was organized as a territory in 1798 and was admitted as the 20th state to join the Union on December 10, 1817.

Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of Mississippi.

The city of Jackson is ranked 3rd of Americas 100 largest metro areas for the best "Bang For Your Buck", according to Forbes magazine study measuring overall affordability,housing rates, and more. The city is named for AndrewJackson, who was still a general at the time of the naming but later became president.