Match these items with their proper descriptions. 1. beginning of the Mississippi River 2. largest railroad center 3. pork-packing center 4. most important crop in the South 5. most densely-populated state in the North 6. capital of the South square Massachusetts square cotton square Charleston square Cincinnati square Chicago square Lake Itasca

To match the items with their proper descriptions, let's analyze each description and find the corresponding item:<br /><br />1. **Beginning of the Mississippi River**: The Mississippi River begins at Lake Itasca in Minnesota.<br /> - Match: $\square$ Lake Itasca<br /><br />2. **Largest railroad center**: Chicago was historically known as a major railroad hub in the United States.<br /> - Match: $\square$ Chicago<br /><br />3. **Pork-packing center**: Cincinnati was known as "Porkopolis" in the 19th century due to its pork-packing industry.<br /> - Match: $\square$ Cincinnati<br /><br />4. **Most important crop in the South**: Cotton was the most important crop in the Southern United States, especially before the Civil War.<br /> - Match: $\square$ cotton<br /><br />5. **Most densely-populated state in the North**: Massachusetts is one of the most densely populated states in the northern part of the United States.<br /> - Match: $\square$ Massachusetts<br /><br />6. **Capital of the South**: Charleston was an important city in the South, but during the Civil War, Richmond, Virginia, served as the capital of the Confederacy. However, given the options, Charleston is the closest match.<br /> - Match: $\square$ Charleston<br /><br />Here are the matches:<br />- Beginning of the Mississippi River: $\square$ Lake Itasca<br />- Largest railroad center: $\square$ Chicago<br />- Pork-packing center: $\square$ Cincinnati<br />- Most important crop in the South: $\square$ cotton<br />- Most densely-populated state in the North: $\square$ Massachusetts<br />- Capital of the South: $\square$ Charleston