Why were the new orleans and the mississippi river important to the settlers in the west?

New Orleans was a major port city and settlers that traveled towards the west often stopped there to gather supplies and trade with locals or travelers. The same goes for the Mississippi River. The river passes through New Orleans and other port cities. Therefore, the river was also a form of transportation for settlers to go through to reach ports. 

Well the New Orleans River was very important to settlers in the west because it was a key river for importing and exporting goods. The Mississippi 
river was important to the settlers because it provided excellent transportation. Also, the Mississippi River was for shipping out goods to the East coast. Hope I helped!