Natchez was established as a French fort site overlooking the Mississippi River on August 3, 1716. Shortly after French settlers joined the Natchez Indians on the bluff overlooking the Mississippi River, they brought people from western Africa as slaves to provide labor for development. These members of the Bambara Tribe - whose name means "those who accept no master" - were the first Africans in what would become the State of Mississippi. Known for their abilities to cultivate the earth, the Bambarans contributed greatly to the economic growth of the region and the nation. 

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As the settlement grew, French, English and Spanish residents began constructing homes and buildings in the styles with which they were familiar, leaving several architectural influences and creating the unique backdrop to the city with which our residents and visitors enjoy today.

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Natchez became part of the United States with the establishment of the Mississippi Territory in the 1798 and served as the first capital of the new State of Mississippi in 1817.

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