Unit 2Chapters 2 & 3

Coach Howell

Major Tribes: Natchez, Choctaw, &

Chickasaw

Natchez Indians- 1682 Cavalier & LaSalle

-4,000

-Great Sun (top of social structure)

-villages along loess bluffs of the MS River

-mounds (Emerald Mound)

-enemies of the French (Ft. Rosalie)

-town of Natchez is named after this tribe

Natchez Indians

Emerald Mound

Loess Bluffs in Natchez overlooking the MS River

Choctaw Indians 20,000 in 1700

Peaceful & agrarian

Located in central & southern MS

Usually allied with the French

1st encountered by DeSoto

Had the most land of all Indians in MS

County in MS is named after the Choctaw people

Choctaw Indians

Chickasaw Indians Located in North Mississippi

4,500

Hunters & warriors

Allies of the English

Forced to move to OK in 1800’s

County in MS is named after them

Chickasaw Indians

Minor Tribes: Biloxi, Pascagoula, Tunica, & Yazoo

Biloxi Indians

-located on the Gulf Coast

-<500

-city of Biloxi was named after them

-eventually settled in Oklahoma

Pascagoula Indians

-”bread people”

-allies of the French

-located on the Gulf Coast

Tunica Indians 1,500 in 1698

Allies of the French

South bank of the Yazoo River

Active slave traders

Later re-located to Louisiana

Yazoo Indians On the Yazoo River, just north of

Vicksburg

Anti-French

Virtually destroyed by the Choctaw

Died out by the 1800’s

European Explorers & Occupation

Spain, France, & England

Spanish Explorers Landed in 1539 (Tampa, FL- DeSoto)

Reached the MS River in 1541

DeSoto died in 1542, buried on the banks of the MS River

French ExplorersLasalle/ Cavalier:

Reached the mouth of the MS in 1682 (LaSalle)

Claimed the area for France & named it Louisiana

Iberville:

Went on to Ship Island in 1699, later went to shore looking for the river

Established Ft. Maurepas 1699 (Biloxi Bay)

Established

Natchez in 1716, New Orleans 1718

Bienville:

Bienville became governor in Mobile

“Casquette girls”

Ship Island & Biloxi BayCasquette Girls

Natchez District Part of the Louisiana Province

Well-populated (710, 280 were slaves)

Major center of trade on the MS River

Black Codes (1724)

-prohibited separation of spouses

-children under 14 couldn’t be separated from parents

-freed slaves became French citizens

English Occupation1763-1783

English Territory Gained the territory through the Treaty of Paris 1763

from the French (32 degree parallel- Vicksburg)

The territory was called British West Florida

Population grew quickly

Main crop became cotton

Treaty of Paris 1783-gave the new U.S. former British territory in, except for Natchez (Spain claimed it)

Spanish Occupation1783-1795

Spanish Territory

Population increased in Natchez due to land grants offered by the Spanish

Cotton continued to grow as an important crop

Population increase, and the increased importance of cotton brought large numbers of slaves to the area

In 1798 the Spanish left Natchez for New Orleans

Natchez is now a part of the United States