D. Clayton James's history of Natchez from its settlement in 1716 to the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861 traces the development of the town from the time of the Natchez Indians through the succeeding periods of French, Spanish, British, and American domination. Drawing generously on diaries, journals, and other records, Antebellum Natchez is an important account of the role of Natchez and some of its most distinguished citizens in the colonial affairs of the lower Mississippi Valley and the growth of the Old Southwest.

D. Clayton James teaches history at Mississippi State University. He has published numerous articles and reviews in historical journals.