As the Southern cotton economy broadened on the back of slave labor in the early 1800s, towns created to transfer the cotton emerged on the Mississippi River: New Orleans, Memphis, Vicksburg, and Natchez.
Located high up on the bluffs of the Mississippi River, Natchez, Mississippi, was established by French colonists in 1716. The defensible tactical location ensured that it would become an essential center for trade.
In the middle of the 19th century, the city drew in Southern planters, who constructed estates to flaunt their large wealth from the cotton and sugar walking cane trade. Natchez was where planters concerned escape the heat and seclusion of the plantations. It was the Hamptons of the South-- the location where the rich relaxed and mingled.
I never ever became aware of Natchez up until a couple of weeks before I visited. While checking out Nashville, I fulfilled some local Southern kids at a bar. Captivated by my trip strategies, they offered me all the details they might on their home state of Mississippi. I discussed my desire to see old Southern antebellum homes.
" That's Natchez. If you desire antebellum homes, Natchez is the place to be," the three men stated in unison.
Natchez was highlight of my time in the American South. As a former history teacher who focused on pre-- Civil War America, I take a significant interest in this part of the country. I'm captivated by the hypocrisy and duality of pre-- Civil War Southern society.
On the one hand, it was genteel, respectful, and formal. On the other, it was brutally racist. Southern egalitarian views of chivalry, equality, and honor extended only to a small segment of society, and they found no hypocrisy in owning servants. (Note: Reams of thesis documents and books have explored Southern culture. If you're wanting to learn more, have a look at Ken Burns's The Civil War and The Fall of your house of Dixie: The Civil War and the Social Revolution That Transformed the South.).
Natchez continues to be a stunning city. Secession belief never ran high here, and the city rapidly surrendered to the Union Army in 1862. None of the damage that happened in other cities happened here, leaving the city undamaged.
Today, Natchez trades in tourist instead of cotton. Visitors to the historical houses and surrounding national park (Natchez Traces) and gambling on the riverboats sustain this small town.
By today's requirements, they are small rural houses. You would not stop and think "Wow, that is an estate!" But for the period, these houses were an ornate testimony to the planters' great wealth, with high ceilings, elaborate wallpaper designs, and several stories, and they were filled with great china, carpets, and furniture.
You can visit 10 of the bigger vacant homes (one for $12 or 3 for $30). Of the five I saw, I was big fan of Longwood (the very best grounds and the majority of special home), Rosalie (the most stunning interior), and Stanton Hall (the most beautiful grounds). During the Natchez Pilgrimage in the spring, 24 additional private historical houses open to the public. The costumed guides-- some descendants of the initial owners-- explain the history of the home, their household, and the region. It's the city's biggest annual event.
There are also a variety of self-guided walking tours that wind through the city. Along the way, historic markers provide you the history of the buildings, communities, and the locals who called them home.
There is King's Tavern, built in 1769, the oldest bar in the city (and, according to legend, the most haunted). Walking toward the riverboat gambling establishment, you'll stumble upon exactly what is left of Natchez Under the Hill. This one-time dynamic dock location of the city was where dockworkers, woman of the streets, and drunkards socialized. It was the city's underbelly throughout the boom times. Now a sterilized street of restaurants and bars, it does still contain the earliest bar on the Mississippi River, Under the Hill Saloon.
Natchez is gorgeous and elegant. I loved walking around the streets, admiring the gorgeous houses, stopping at King's Tavern for wine while avoiding ghosts, and sitting in the park as the sun set over the Mississippi.
The disadvantage to Natchez is that it's expensive. There are no hostels, and I couldn't find any Couchsurfing hosts, just hotels and B&B s. Though you can stay in among the antebellum homes, they aren't inexpensive, costing about $120-160 per night (including breakfast).
The benefit? While lodging is pricey, food and beverages are reasonably inexpensive, with a variety of sandwich and BBQ joints in the city offering meals for under $10.
Natchez can be seen in a weekend. It might not be a budget travel destination, but if you are wanting to learn about American history, see lovely houses, and visit a location off the beaten path for many tourists (visitors here tend to be from the surrounding region), check out Natchez.
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