White Flight from the Carolinas:
"Mississippi/ Alabama Fever" (1798 to 1819)

After the Revolutionary War, a large percentage of settlers along the frontier migrated to newly opened western lands. Similar to the "Gone to Georgia" migration pattern, large portions of frontier populations seized the opportunity for inexpensive lands, migrating from the Carolinas and Virginia to what would become Alabama and Mississippi. This migration wave has come to be known as "Mississippi Fever." [Three-Chopped Way]

Mississippi Fever. Settlers Pour into Territory:

During the first phase of the Great Migration, which began in 1798 and continued until 1819, two distinct waves of immigrants swept into the Territory. The first wave began when the Territory was organized and subsided when the War of 1812 began. The second wave developed after the war ended in 1814. It peaked in the years 1818-1819 and receded after the Panic of 1819 brought about a general economic depression. In the period from 1798 to 1812, the flow of immigrants was steady but unspectacular, at least by comparison with the 1815-1819 period. In the first period, settlers moved primarily into three general areas — the Natchez country, the lower Tombigbee River basin, and the Tennessee Valley.

Of these three regions, Natchez received the largest number of settlers during the first period of migration. In 1798 Natchez had a total population, white and black, of 4,500 persons. Two years later the counties of Adams and Pickering (later renamed Jefferson County), into which Natchez had been divided in 1799, contained a total population of 4,446 whites and 2,995 slaves. By 1811, a tier of five new counties lying north and south of Adams county and eastward to the present Alabama state line had been created. The total population of these counties amounted to 31,306 persons, 14,706 of whom were slaves.

During the same period, the settlements along the lower Tombigbee, in what became part of Alabama in 1817, grew much more slowly than the Natchez country. The Mississippi portion of the Territory increased by almost 27,000 persons during the period 1798-1880. The settlements in south Alabama grew by less than 3,000.

Migration to the Territory slowed during the War of 1812. But after peace was made in 1814, immigration resumed and surpassed anything that had ever been witnessed. Thousands of immigrants began to pour into the country. By horse, by wagon, by boat, and on foot, the flood of humanity swept into the Territory. One traveler, during nine days of travel in 1816, counted no fewer than 4,000 immigrants coming into the Territory during nine days of travel. Residents of the older states, such as Virginia and the Carolinas, began to fear that the “Mississippi Fever” would depopulate their states. Everyone seemed to be moving to Mississippi.

    "The Great Migration to the Mississippi Territory, 1798-1819," Mississippi History Now, <http://mshistory.k12.ms.us/index.php?id=169> 12 November 2014.

Alabama Fever:

The Old Federal Road successfully connected Fort Stoddert to the Chattahoochee River. At that point, the Federal Road merged with the earlier postal riders’ horse path that linked Athens, Georgia, to New Orleans, Louisiana. Unlike the old horse path, the Federal Road went eastward making a connection with lands ripe for the recruitment of soldiers and obtaining supplies for the military. This path quickly became a major travel route for pioneers to the area once known as the Old Southwest.

From its start as a narrow horse path used to carry the mails, the Old Federal Road underwent great development and became a major military road connecting early American forts in the Creek Lands and the Mississippi Territory. Acting as the interstate highway of its day, when “Alabama Fever” raged through the Carolinas and Georgia, the Old Federal Road carried thousands of pioneers to the Old Southwest. As such, the Federal Road directly contributed to the dramatic increase in Alabama’s population between 1810 and 1820 – with Alabama’s population growing far faster than that of either Mississippi or Louisiana during this time. Alabama continued out-distancing both Mississippi and Louisiana in population growth through 1850.” 

    "The Federal Road fueled Alabama Fever -the state’s “first interstate," History of the Old Federal Road in Alabama. <http://alabamapioneers.com/the-federal-road-to-alabama> 12 November 2014.

1. Jesse Lee Family Research

a. A significant number of Jesse Lee's children migrated south and west out of North Carolina. Why?

1790 CENSUS OF ROBESON COUNTY Lee, John sr....................................1-0-3-0-0 p. 48 Lee, John jr....................................1-0-3-0-0 p. 49b Lee, Stephen....................................1-0-1-0-0 p. 49c Lee, Jesse jr...................................1-2-4-0-2 Lee, Joseph.....................................1-0-4-0-0 Lee, Jesse sr...................................1-1-4-0-2 Drinkwater, Daniel..............................1-2-2-0-0 p. 50a Starling, William...............................1-0-1-0-0

b. Jesse Lee, Sr. family migrations: [Lee Migration Route]

Children of Jesse Lee b. 1735 NC
#	Child	1790 Census	Spouse	Immigrated	Died
1	Obedience	Robeson Co NC: William Starling	William Starling	William by 1823 to Tattnall Co GA	Tattnall Co GA
2	Joseph	Robeson Co NC: Joseph Lee	Anne Pittman	No	Bladen Co NC
3	Penelope	Robeson Co NC: Daniel Drinkwater	Daniel Drinkwater	Daniel by 1810 to Barnwell Co SC Daniel by 1820 to Emanuel Co GA	Emanuel Co GA
4	Jesse, Jr.	Robeson Co NC: Jesse Lee, Jr.	Treacy Hester	No	Robeson Co NC
5	Stephen	Robeson Co NC: Stephen Lee	Mary Cox	by 1808 to Marion Co MS by 1831 to Hinds Co MS	Hinds Co MS
6	Gen. Benjamin	Robeson Co NC Jesse Lee, Sr.	Charity Pope	by 1818 to Marion Co MS	Marion Co MS
7	Sarah	Robeson Co NC Jesse Lee, Sr.	Jacob Pope	by 1816 to Marion Co MS	Marion Co MS
8	Mary Keziah	Robeson Co NC Jesse Lee, Sr.	Willis Everett Loe	by 1840 to Marion Co MS	Marion Co MS

2. Zachariah Lee Family Research:

a. A significant number of Zachariah Lee's children migrated south and west out of North Carolina. Why? Note: Zachariah died after 11/1784 Bladen Co NC.

1786 Bladen Co NC Census

Males	Born After	#	Lee	Females	#	Lee
21+				All	3	Lucy Hester Unknown
20-	1765	4	Jesse Everett Samuel William

1790 Robeson Co NC Census

Males	Born After	#	Lee	Females	#	Lee
18+		2	Jesse Samuel	All	2	Lucy Hester
17-	1778	1	William

1790 Robeson Co NC Census Report:

1790 CENSUS OF ROBESON COUNTY, p. 50a Starling, William...............................1-0-1-0-0 Lee, Everat.....................................1-0-2-0-0 Lee, Lucy.......................................2-1-2-0-0

b. Zachariah Lee family migrations: [Lee Migration Route]

Children of Zachariah Lee b. c. 1745 NC
#	Child	1790 Census	Spouse	Immigrated	Died
1	Jacob Lee	Unknown	Cynthia Floyd	No	Unknown
2	Isaac Lee	Unknown		No	Unknown
3	Jesse Lee	Robeson Co NC Lucy Lee	Nancy Lewis	by 1818 to Wayne Co MS by 1820 to Marion Co MS	Marion Co MS
4	Everett Lee	Robeson Co NC Everat Lee	Charlotte Madison	by 1808 to Claiborne Co MS by 1816 to Marion Co MS	Marion Co MS
5	Samuel Lee	Robeson Co NC Lucy Lee	Sarah Slay	before 1813 to Wayne Co MS 1840 to Catahoula Par LA	Catahoula Par LA
6	William Lee	Robeson Co NC Lucy Lee	Susannah Lee	by 1830 to Marion Co MS	Marion Co MS
7	Hester Lee	Robeson Co NC Lucy Lee	Jordan Phillips	No	Unknown

3. The McPhearson Family of South Carolina and the "Grass is Greener" migration wave

The McPhearson Family of South Carolina migrated south to Alabama and then west to Mississippi. Why?

William McPherson, Jr. born c. 1770 in Laurens Co SC migrated c. 1837 to Tuscaloosa Co AL with his wife and children. And, his son, Lorenzo Dow McPherson, migrated c. 1847 to Lowndes Co MS and then by 1856 to Wayne Co MS. Why?

These two generations of the McPherson family were not part of the "Mississippi Fever" migration wave; as their migration happened later. My description would be the "Grass is Greener" wave.

The greatest result of the "Mississippi Fever" wave was depopulation of White people from the Carolina Piedmont. The McPherson's friends and relatives migrated en masse to Alabama and Mississippi in the previous generation. Evidently by 1837, it was time to go. And down subsequent generations, that urge to continue migrating south and west would continue. Ergo, the "Grass is Greener" migration wave.