Natchez, Mississippi

Natchez is a city on the western part of Mississippi. It covers 13.9 sq mi (35.9 sq km) and has a population of 18,000 people (2011 estimate). The city, located on the Mississippi River 90 miles to the southwest of Jackson, is the county seat of Adams County.

B'Nai Israel Temple, Natchez, Mississippi
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Natchez4Sept2008BnaiIsrael.jpg
Author: Infrogmation of New Orleans


Natchez experiences a humid subtropical climate. July is the hottest month, when the average high temperature rises to 91.5°F (33.1°C). Coldest month is January, when the average low temperature drops to 37.5°F (3.1°C). March is the wettest month in Natchez, receiving 6.74 in (171.2 mm) of precipitation.

Natchez was established by the French in 1716. It is one of the oldest European settlements in the lower Mississippi River Valley. The city was originally called Fort Rosalie. It was later changed to Natchez, after the Natchez tribe of Native Americans who were the inhabitants of the area when Europeans arrived. The Natchez were descendents of the Plaquemine culture, an early tribe that built mounds. Remains of the Natchez Grand Village is today a National Historic Landmark in the area.

Located on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River, Natchez grew as an important trading center. Animosity between the French and the Indians culminated in the Natchez Massacre of 1729, when the Indians killed 229 French colonists. This resulted in a counterattack which nearly wiped out the Natchez. Those who surrendered were sold as slaves and shipped to plantations in Saint-Domingue. There were remnants that managed to escape enslavement. Their descendants are now part of the Natchez Nation, a federally recognized sovereign traditional government.

Longwood, Natchez, Mississippi
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Longwood_in_Natchez.jpg
Author: kniemla


The Fort Rosalie area was later taken over by the British, who were themselves replaced by the Spanish. In 1795, Spain and the United States signed the Treaty of San Lorenzo, which surrendered Natchez to the Americans. Natchez was then made the capital of the Mississippi Territory. It served for a few years before the capital was shifted to a new town called Washington, then 15 years later shifted back to Natchez. Eventually in 1822 the Mississippi legislature voted to have the capital permanently located in Jackson.

Natchez is famous for its historic houses built during the Antebellum Era, which is before the American Civil War. Some of these are opened all year round, while the rest are only opened during specific times of the year.

Visiting Natchez

US Highway 84 is the main highway linking Natchez to the rest of the country. To reach it, take Interstate 55 to Brookhaven then continue west on US Highway 84 until you reach Natchez.

Magnolia Hall, Natchez, Mississippi
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Natchez4Sept2008MansionF.jpg
Author: Infrogmation of New Orleans

Places of Interest in Natchez

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