West Florida Boundary

"Today our stop along the parkway is on the bank of the Ross Barnett Reservoir. The exhibit is called West Florida Boundary.

"Between 1756 and 1763 the conflict known as the Seven Years' War was fought in Europe and India. It pitted the French and the British against each other for control of the seas and control of colonies in North America.

"The North American part of this struggle is what we call the French and Indian War, with the French defending a line of forts from the St. Lawrence River to the Mississippi, against British attack. The chain of French forts was finally broken, and the British spectacular capture of Quebec in 1759 ended French power in America for all practical purposes.

"The 1763 Treaty of Paris marked the end of the war, and Great Britain ended up with much of the former French territory between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River. The British formed the highly prized colony of British West Florida with a northern boundary at the 31st parallel north latitude. It was soon discovered this was too restrictive, and in 1764 Great Britain moved the boundary north. As you drive along the shore of the reservoir north of Jackson you cross 32 degrees and 28 minutes north latitude which was the northern boundary of British West Florida in 1764.

"Join us next time when we investigate the life of a Cypress Swamp. For Natchez Trace a road through the wilderness, I'm Frank Thomas."

For more about Natchez Trace: A Road Through the Wilderness, visit eddieandfrank.com