Final answer:
There are several states east of the Mississippi River, as the river divides the eastern half of the United States from its western half.
The American South is the major region east of the Mississippi, which includes many states and has historical significance due to its association with plantation agriculture and slavery.
Step-by-step explanation:
When referring to the state east of the Mississippi River, it is important to consider that there are multiple states located to the east of the river since it flows from the northern United States down to the Gulf of Mexico, effectively splitting the country's eastern half from its western half.
By the early 1830s, all lands east of the Mississippi River had been organized and admitted into the Union as states. The boundary between the Mississippi River and the 49th parallel was initially uncertain due to misconceptions about the source of the Mississippi lying further north.
The American South is a significant region east of the Mississippi River that encompasses states from Kentucky south to Louisiana, east to Florida, and north to Virginia. This region was critical in the history of the United States, especially before the Civil War when it was primarily dedicated to plantation agriculture reliant on African slave labor.
The Mississippi River itself has also been a historical and cultural landmark, as mentioned in Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' speech, referring to the state of Mississippi which lies primarily to the east of the river.