In honor of Independence Day, the next three Monday evenings of the Natchez Tricentennial Legends & Lore series will present speakers with topics tied to the period of the American Revolution.

These free events will be at 5:30 p.m. each week at the Rolling River Bistro at 406 Main St. All are welcome.

On Monday+, Jack Elliott, Jr. will present “City and Empire: Spanish Natchez and the Birth of Mississippi.” Spain seized control of the Natchez District from Great Britain during the American Revolution in the British colonies along the Atlantic seaboard.

During Jack Elliott’s career as a historical archaeologist by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, he advocated the establishment of a national park centered around Fort Rosalie, and he also carried out the excavations that proved the site to have national significance because of its archaeological resources. This led to the creation of Natchez National Historical Park, and the inclusion of the fort within the park.

It was Bernardo de Gálvez who was serving as Interim Governor of the province of Louisiana in 1779 when he led a Spanish military expedition that defeated British forces at Manchac, Baton Rouge and Natchez. His actions blocked the British from encircling the American rebels from the South, and he was recognized by George Washington for his efforts.

Though Gálvez was born in Málaga, Spain, he reportedly was of Basque descent and is said to have brought an influx of Basque settlers into the Louisiana region. The Basque people come from an area on the border between France and Spain.

On July 18, Natchez will host Michel-Antoine Goitia-Nicolas, a Canadian native living in New Orleans who has served as President of the Louisiana Basque Society and Cultural Organization (LABASCO) that is dedicated to spreading an understanding of the Basques who settled in the New World. He will present “The Hidden Basque History of Natchez.”

Shortly before the onset of the American Revolution, King George of England had issued a large private land grant to Captain Amos Ogden of New Jersey for his service to the English crown in the recent French and Indian War. This war resulted in the transfer of control over the Natchez region from the French to the British. Ogden sold some of the land to his neighbors, the Swayzes and Kings, and all their families settled the land north of the Homochitto River.

The struggles of this group of Protestant British loyalists against the Indians and then the Spanish as well as tales of their descendants will be detailed by Karen O’Neal in her presentation on July 25 titled “Jersey Settlers Then and Now.”

Many thanks to René Adams, Michael Gore and the staff at Rolling River Bistro for their ongoing support of our Natchez Tricentennial. More information can be found at www.natchezms300.com.

 

Kathleen Bond serves as co-chair of the Natchez Tricentennial Ethnic & Social History Committee.