Things to do / Travel Guide
Native American History of Southern Mississippi and Louisiana
In very few places in the United States is the past as unusual as in the southern reaches of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The Choctaw and Natchez tribe occupied the area around the Mississippi River and left ancient mounds that testify to possible Aztec influences. The Natchez people enjoyed good relations with the Spanish and later, the French arrivals in the area of the lower Mississippi River. In the early 18th century, divisions were created in Indian society between supporters of the local French and supporters of English rule further east. This led to the decline of the Native American culture in the area. Eventually, most of the American Indians of the area were marched to Okalahoma on the “Trail of Tears”.
European Settlement in Southern Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana
The Spanish, venturing west from their Florida settlement in the mid-1500's were turned back by the Choctaw and Chickasaw, paving the way for French colonization over 100 years later. The French created facts on the ground by sailing (and claiming) the entire length of the Mississippi River from the great lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. The first French settlement in the area was at Fort de Maurepas, known today as Ocean Springs, Mississippi. War with the British meant that the French had to consolidate their operations in the area and in 1718, they founded the city of New Orleans. By the end of the 18th century, once Spain, England and France sorted out their various claims and wars, the French were the undisputed owners of a large swath of North America west of the Mississippi, known as Louisiana. Rather then fight the Americans or the British, the French promptly sold Louisiana to the United States. The British made their last (and unsuccessful) attempt at having Louisiana to call their own during the War of 1812.
The unique culture of Louisiana was enhanced by the population transfer of the Acadians (Cajuns) from Nova Scotia and by freed slaves from Haiti.
Historical Attractions in New Orleans, Louisiana, Biloxi, Natchez, Mississippi, Mobile, Alabama
History
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