The novel primarily takes place in and around the fictional town of St. Petersburg, Missouri, a location that mirrors Mark Twain's own experiences growing up in the 1830s and 1840s. The Mississippi river  and all the towns along the river play a major role in the story and setting, forming the foundation for the adventure in the book. This page will look at location and significance of the river in the story. 

The novel takes place in the pre-Civil War south, that means class and race lines were firm and unmoving. Slavery is alive and well in the town of St. Petersberg and one of the main characters, Jim,  is a slave. Because of Jim, slavery is one of the main themes in the novel and Jim and Huck's travels take them through several towns in which Jim's status as a runaway slave causes problems. This page will explore some of the problems Jim would have/did encounter as a runaway slave in the antebellum south.

Jim and Huck have to find food in nature early and often when they are on the run, would you survive?

Food of the time was very different, what is a dull meal for you could have been a feast for dear Huck, explore some of the meals from the book and look at some recipes. 

Take a quiz on how much like Huckleberry Finn you are! 

Steamboats were a main source of travel for the wealthy at the time, in fact, an activity that was fairly common at the time was steamboat racing! Learn more about steamboat racing and it's downsides.