Natchez Revolt
The Natchez Revolt was a significant uprising that took place on November 28, 1729, in what is now Natchez, Mississippi. It arose from the tensions between the Natchez people and the French colonial authorities, who had established control over the region since the late 17th century. The conflict was primarily fueled by the mismanagement of the French commandant, who displayed insensitivity towards the Natchez and proposed to seize their fertile lands for a personal plantation. This provoked the Natchez to plan a coordinated attack, resulting in the deaths of over two hundred French settlers and the capture of numerous colonists and enslaved individuals.
In retaliation, a coalition led by the Choctaw and French forces launched an assault against the Natchez, ultimately leading to their surrender in early 1730. Following their defeat, a large portion of the Natchez population was enslaved and transported to the West Indies, while some escaped to seek refuge with the Chickasaw. The aftermath of the revolt was devastating for the Natchez, marking a significant decline in their culture and societal structure, which never fully recovered from the repercussions of the conflict. This event is an important chapter in the history of colonial encounters in North America, reflecting the complex dynamics between Indigenous peoples and European settlers.
Natchez Revolt
Date: 1729
Place: Natchez, Mississippi
Tribe affected: Natchez
Significance: The Natchez Revolt gave rise to the French policy of encouraging enmities among the different Indian groups in order to forestall future uprisings
The Natchez Revolt occurred on November 28, 1729. The main factor underlying this event was the ineptness of French colonial rule, which controlled this region from the late seventeenth century. The Natchez were first encountered by the Frenchman René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle on the eastern shore of the Mississippi River, at the location of the modern town of Natchez, Mississippi. In 1713, the French built a trading post there, evidence of their desire to control the region. Skirmishes between the Natchez and the French resulted in the 1716 construction of Fort Rosalie and in colonial settlement in its vicinity. After the fort was built, there were two additional small Natchez uprisings, although each was swiftly quelled.
Commandant De Chepart, placed in control of Fort Rosalie in 1728, marred his command with drunkenness and other abuses as well as with his insensitivity toward the Natchez. Within a year, De Chepart antagonized the Indian community with his proposal to establish his own plantation on fertile lands of the Natchez White Apple village. He proposed the use of force to assist in the relocation of the aboriginal inhabitants. In response, the Natchez planned war; their ceremonial preparations lasted for several months, culminating in a November attack on the French. They killed more than two hundred settlers, and they captured approximately fifty colonists and three hundred slaves.
On January 27, 1730, Sieur Jean-Paul Le Seur led a five-hundred-strong force of Choctaw against the Natchez in retaliation. They managed to rescue most of the surviving women and children, plus approximately a hundred slaves; in the process they killed about the same number of Natchez. A week later, the French force received reinforcements from New Orleans, and they laid siege to the Natchez, who agreed to surrender on February 25.
In punishment, approximately four hundred Natchez were enslaved by the French and shipped to the West Indies. An indeterminate number escaped and sought refuge with the Chickasaw. This ensured Chickasaw animosity toward both the French and their powerful Choctaw allies. The Natchez never recovered, and their culture was soon lost.