Natchez, Mississippi, has long relied on its history to establish its identity and attract visitors from across the country. Known for its historic antebellum homes, Southern traditions and preserved architecture, the town has turned its past into one of its most valuable economic resources. However, beneath the beauty and charm that attract tourists lies a complicated history that is not always presented equally. While Natchez has successfully built an industry around preserving its historic image, the question remains whether the town is equally committed to preserving the stories of everyone who helped shape it.
The documentary Natchez, directed by Suzannah Herbert, examines how residents use the town’s history to support its tourism industry while exploring the tension between preserving Southern traditions and acknowledging the painful realities behind them. Through conversations with residents, business owners and tour guides, Herbert presents a community that is financially dependent on its history but continues to struggle with how that history should be told.
For generations, tourism has played a significant role in Natchez’s economy. The town’s historic mansions and antebellum architecture have become major attractions for visitors interested in experiencing the Old South. As the documentary explains, this approach to tourism gained momentum during the Great Depression, when local women began looking for ways to preserve historic properties while generating revenue for the community. Their efforts helped establish the annual Pilgrimage, an event that allows visitors to tour some of Natchez’s most recognizable homes.
What started as an attempt to preserve local landmarks eventually developed into an important economic industry. Hotels, restaurants, tour companies and other small businesses benefit from the steady flow of visitors. For many residents, the town’s history is not simply something to remember; it is something that provides jobs and supports their livelihoods. However, Herbert’s documentary raises an important question about the version of history being sold to visitors and whether it accurately represents everyone who contributed to Natchez’s development.
Herbert’s interest in exploring this subject began with an experience outside Natchez. In an interview with Film Independent, she discussed attending a wedding at a plantation and questioning how historic locations connected to slavery were being used in modern society. “In 2017, I was invited to a wedding on a plantation and was struck by how people, to this day, are still using sites for their profit, their enjoyment, their entertainment,” Herbert said. That experience eventually helped inspire the documentary and its examination of how communities turn difficult historical periods into profitable tourist attractions.
One of the documentary’s central issues is the way slavery has historically been minimized in the presentation of Natchez’s wealth and prosperity. Many of the mansions that attract tourists were built during a period when the town was among the wealthiest communities in the country. Much of that wealth came from the cotton industry, which depended heavily on the forced labor of enslaved African Americans. While traditional tours often emphasize expensive furnishings, architectural details and the lifestyles of wealthy plantation owners, the experiences of the enslaved people who made that prosperity possible have not always received the same attention.
Herbert addresses this issue directly in an interview with NPR, explaining, “I think in a lot of the antebellum homes, enslaved people are called servants or not even mentioned at all, and that really contributes to the erasure of the experience of the enslaved but also the wealth that was built on their backs and stolen.” Her observation highlights how the language used during traditional tours can influence the way visitors understand history. Referring to enslaved people as servants minimizes the reality of slavery and overlooks the labor that helped create the wealth celebrated throughout Natchez.
The film introduces residents who are working to change that narrative. Tracy “Rev” Collins, a pastor and tour guide, offers visitors a different perspective by focusing on slavery, Reconstruction and the Jim Crow era. His approach challenges the traditional image of Natchez by placing greater emphasis on the people whose experiences have often been left out of the town’s historical storytelling. Rather than focusing exclusively on the homes of wealthy plantation owners, Collins encourages visitors to understand the history of the people who were bought, sold and forced to work in the community.
Deborah Cosey also provides an important perspective. As the first African American member of the Pilgrimage Garden Club, she represents a changing approach to how Natchez preserves and presents its history. Through her work at Concord Quarters, a former slave dwelling that now operates as a bed-and-breakfast, Cosey helps visitors understand a side of the town’s past that traditional mansion tours have often overlooked. Her involvement also demonstrates how residents can use historical tourism to educate visitors while creating opportunities for stories that have traditionally received less attention.
These perspectives demonstrate that historical preservation should involve more than maintaining old buildings and attracting tourists. It should also provide an opportunity to educate visitors and recognize the experiences of people who have historically been excluded from the conversation. However, changing the way history is presented is not always easy when a community’s economy depends on maintaining a particular image.
Throughout the documentary, residents demonstrate how differently people can view the same history. Some take pride in preserving traditional Southern customs and the tourism industry built around them, while others believe the town must become more honest about its past. Herbert intentionally allows these different perspectives to exist alongside one another. During her NPR interview, she explained, “I wanted to allow people to speak for themselves and so then audience members could take away how they felt about it without being told.” This filmmaking approach gives viewers the opportunity to evaluate the community’s different perspectives rather than simply accepting one interpretation.
Ultimately, Natchez shows how a community can benefit financially from its history while also struggling with how that history should be remembered. The town does not need to abandon its historic identity to move forward. Instead, it needs to recognize that its story includes much more than beautiful homes and wealthy families. The experiences of enslaved people and their descendants are equally important to understanding how Natchez became the community it is today.
For Natchez, acknowledging its complicated past could be the key to building a more meaningful future. Its history will likely remain one of its greatest economic resources, but how the community chooses to present that history will determine what future generations understand about the town.
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