The French who settled in the region cultivated tobacco and needed a lot of land, which generated considerable friction between them and the Natchez, who were sedentary farmers. The tension was intensified when the French asked the Natchez to relocate their villages so that they could extend their lands. The contempt and brutality the French displayed towards the most influential people in the Natchez community fueled the resentment and led to a general uprising on November 28, 1729.