Natchez revolt

Quick Facts: Who was Natchez revolt?

Subject:

Natchez revolt

Known for:

A 1729 revolt by the Natchez people against encroaching French colonists in Mississippi.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Natchez revolt, or the Natchez massacre, was an attack by the Natchez Native American people on French colonists near present-day Natchez, Mississippi, on November 28, 1729. The Natchez and French had lived alongside each other in the Louisiana colony for more than a decade prior to the incident, mostly conducting peaceful trade and occasionally intermarrying. After a period of deteriorating relations and warring, Natchez leaders were provoked to revolt when the French colonial commandant, Sieur de Chépart, demanded land from a Natchez village for his own plantation near Fort Rosalie. The Natchez plotted their attack over several days and managed to conceal their plans from most of the French; colonists who overheard and warned Chépart of an attack were considered untruthful and were punished. In a coordinated attack on the fort and the homesteads, the Natchez killed almost all of the Frenchmen, while sparing most of the women and enslaved Africans.

Career & Major Achievements

Approximately 230 colonists were killed overall, and the fort and homes were burned to the ground. When the French in New Orleans, the colonial capital, heard the news of the massacre, they feared a general Indian uprising and were concerned that the Natchez might have conspired with other tribes. They first responded by ordering a massacre of the Chaouacha people – who had played no role in the revolt – and wiped out their entire village. The French and their Choctaw allies then retaliated against the Natchez villages, capturing hundreds of Natchez and selling them into slavery, although many managed to escape to the north and take refuge among the Chickasaw people. The Natchez waged low-intensity warfare against the French over the following years, but retaliatory expeditions against Natchez refugees among the Chickasaw in 1730 and 1731 forced them to move on and live as refugees among the Creek and Cherokee tribes.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

By 1741, the Natchez had established a town in the northern parts of the Upper Creek Nation. There, with permission from the Abihka, they reconstituted their town and were signatories in the 1790 Treaty of New York and the 1796 Treaty of Colerain. They remain a constituent tribe of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. The attack on Fort Rosalie destroyed some of the Louisiana colony's most productive farms and endangered shipments of food and trade goods on the Mississippi River. As a result, the French state returned control of Louisiana from the Company of the Indies to the crown in 1731, as the company had been having trouble running the colony.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1729: 1729 Milestone — The Natchez revolt, or the Natchez massacre, was an attack by the Natchez Native American people on French colonists near present-day Natchez, Mississippi, on November 28, 1729.
2. 1730: 1730 Milestone — The Natchez waged low-intensity warfare against the French over the following years, but retaliatory expeditions against Natchez refugees among the Chickasaw in 1730 and 1731 forced them to move on and live as refugees among the Creek and Cherokee tribes.
3. 1731: 1731 Milestone — As a result, the French state returned control of Louisiana from the Company of the Indies to the crown in 1731, as the company had been having trouble running the colony.
4. 1741: 1741 Milestone — By 1741, the Natchez had established a town in the northern parts of the Upper Creek Nation.
5. 1790: 1790 Milestone — There, with permission from the Abihka, they reconstituted their town and were signatories in the 1790 Treaty of New York and the 1796 Treaty of Colerain.

Notable Quotes by Natchez revolt

“The French seemed to have "two hearts, a good one today, and tomorrow a bad one."”

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Natchez revolt

True or False: “Did the Natchez revolt primarily begin because of an immediate military confrontation with British forces?”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The primary catalyst for the 1729 revolt was Sieur de Chépart demanding land from a Natchez village for his own plantation.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Anders Chydenius — Historical peer (Born in 1729) (1729): Leading classical liberal and champion of free trade in 18th-century Sweden.
• Edmund Burke — Historical peer (Born in 1729) (1729): Founder of modern political conservatism, influential philosopher and statesman.
• Alexander Suvorov — Historical peer (Born in 1730) (1730): Brilliant Russian general whose victories defined military prowess in the late 18th century.
• Charles Messier — Historical peer (Born in 1730) (1730): Pioneering French astronomer known for the Messier catalogue of nebulae and star clusters.
• Bartolomeo Cristofori — Historical peer (Died in 1731) (1731): Pioneering Italian instrument maker, credited with inventing the modern piano.
• Benjamin Banneker — Historical peer (Born in 1731) (1731): Self-taught polymath, surveyor, and advocate for racial equality in early America.
• Angelica Kauffman — Historical peer (Born in 1741) (1741): Swiss history painter renowned for her successful careers in London and Rome.
• Antonio Vivaldi — Historical peer (Died in 1741) (1741): Master of the Baroque concerto, Vivaldi shaped modern violin and programmatic music.
• Adam Smith — Historical peer (Died in 1790) (1790): Scottish philosopher and economist, considered the father of modern capitalism.
• Alphonse de Lamartine — Historical peer (Born in 1790) (1790): French poet, author, and statesman whose career spanned revolutionary fervor and republican ideals.

Frequently Asked Questions about Natchez revolt