Final answer:
The Mississippi River's role as a crucial outlet for agricultural produce made it essential to the prosperity of western settlers, aligning with statement C from the provided options.
Step-by-step explanation:
When considering which statement contains the same information as the article and the map, it is important to analyze the context of westward expansion and the relevance of the Mississippi River to the prosperity of western settlers. Referring to the map and the provided article excerpts, we can pinpoint that the Mississippi River was indeed a crucial artery for the transport of agricultural produce, making it essential for the economic prosperity of the region. This aligns with statement C: "the Mississippi River, being the only outlet for this heavy produce, was very necessary to the prosperity of the west." (paragraph 9) As no other statements directly correspond with both the map and the article content, this would be the answer that includes the same information presented in both sources.