The country near Natchez was settled by the French in 1718, and Fort Rosalie built on the bluff, within the now incorporated limits of that city. The first French colony was massacred by the savages in 1729, and the country remained uninhabited by the whites many years afterwards.
In 1763. Natchez, then considered a part of West Florida, was ceded by Spain to Great Britain, who re tained possession until 1781, when that place and all West Florida was conquered by the Spaniards under Governor Bernardo Galvez ; and, by the treaty of Paris, West Florida was confirmed to Spain. As the limits of the British and French colonies, and afterwards those between the British and Spanish colonies, had never been fixed, the Spanish authorities held Natchez and the adjacent country as an appendage of Florida until 1798, when the city and country were evacuated by the officers and troops of Spain, and the United States com missioners took full possession. In 1799, the line of demarcation was completed, and the boundary fixed, which now separates the states of Louisiana and Alis sissippi, between the Mississippi and Pearl rivers.
April 7th, 1798, an act of Congress was passed, au thorizing the President of the United States to appoint commissioners to adjust the limits of the territory west of the Chatahoochy river.
Nlay 10th, an act was passed for the organization of a government, and the territory named " The Mississippi Territory." June 9th, 1808, an act passed, admitting a delegate from the Mississippi Territory in Congress.
June 17th, 1812, the assent of Georgia demanded, for the formation of two states out of the Mississippi Terri tory. This demand was subsequently acceded to by Georgia.
January 21st, 1815, a petition from the legislature of the Mississippi Territory laid before Congress, praying admission into the Union on the same footing with the original states. A committee of Congrees reported on this petition favourably, December, 1816.
A law was passed in consequence, March 1st, 1817, authorizing the call of a Convention, which was called, and met July, 1817, accepted the terms proposed by Congress, framed a constitution, August 15th, which was accepted by Congress in December following ; and the state of Mississippi assumed her station as a member of the United States. Since the period of admission, no event of consequence, in a general view, has taken place in this state.