About the Natchez Trace
The Natchez Trace is a 440-mile long stretch of land that runs from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee. It is a trail that is filled with history and that has been used by Native Americans and European settlers in the area. It was a major trading route and a trail that many explorers and settlers in the history of North America took as they explored land in the area or made their way further west. The trail itself connects three major rivers in the area: the Cumberland, the Mississippi and the Tennessee.
History
The Natchez Trace is found on a natural geological ridge line that began to be used heavily for feeding by prehistoric animals in the area of present-day Tennessee. Here there was plenty of water for the animals, which also created grazing land that was rich in greens and attracted many animals. Native Americans began to use the path that was created by these animals for hunting and foraging. Their use expanded the Trace and made it into a traveler-friendly path that European settlers used after they began to explore the area.
Geography
The Natchez Trace follows the path of the three major rivers in the southeast of the United States. The Tennessee, Mississippi and Cumberland rivers all converge alongside the Trace and have created a lush geographic area that is rich in wildlife and greenery. It is also on a natural ridge line, which is the cause of the waterways alongside it. It runs through the modern day states of Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi. It's about 62 miles long.
Features
The current Natchez Trace is a trail that has a number of interesting features that have attracted hikers throughout the years. It is a lush area filled with local flora and is a great place to observe nature. Many animals flock to this area for the plants and the water that are in abundance. While traveling the trail, hikers and explorers will also see remnants of old civilizations in the form of ghost towns that can be explored that offer a glimpse into the past of the United States.
Function
During the time in which it was used by European explorers, the Natchez Trace served as the only reliable trade route between posts in the ports of Mississippi and Louisiana. Because of this, it functioned as a route of travel that not only sales and tradesmen took, but also men of the clergy, explorers and local politicians. Preachers were especially fond of using the Trace as a way of spreading their gospel and religious ideals throughout the new settlements along the rivers that the Trace passed alongside.
Expert Insight
There is an important aspect to the Trace that does not include it being a trade route or an important area to animals and Native Americans. It is the place where the famous explorer Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis and Clark Expedition died. At the time he was in financial and emotional despair, and the depression brought on by this caused him to ask for gunpowder that was readily available at various trade posts on the Trace. After he did this, he was killed by two gunshots. While it seems that suicide is to blame, some people say that Meriwether Lewis was murdered on the Natchez Trace.
Tags: Natchez Trace, Native Americans, trail that, About Natchez, About Natchez Trace, animals Native
