
To establish Spanish colonies in Louisiana, the Spanish military leader Bernardo de Gálvez, governor of Louisiana at the time, recruited groups of Spanish -speaking Canary Islanders to emigrate to North America. In 1778, several ships embarked for Louisiana with hundreds of settlers.
When did Spain colonize New Orleans?
Spanish Colonial Louisiana Spain governed the colony of Louisiana for nearly four decades, from 1763 through 1802, returning it to France for a few months until the Louisiana Purchase conveyed it to the United States in 1803. by Charles Chamberlain, Lo Faber Courtesy of The Historic New Orleans Collection.
How did the Spanish establish Spanish colonies in Louisiana?
To establish Spanish colonies in Louisiana, the Spanish military leader Bernardo de Gálvez, governor of Louisiana at the time, recruited groups of Spanish-speaking Canary Islanders to emigrate to North America.
When did European settlers come to Louisiana?
European settlement in the Louisiana colony was not exclusively French; in the 1720s, German immigrants settled along the Mississippi River in a region referred to as the German Coast . In 1719, two French ships arrived in New Orleans, the Duc du Maine and the Aurore, carrying the first African slaves to Louisiana for labor.
What is the oldest settlement in Louisiana?
The settlement of Natchitoches (along the Red River in present-day northwest Louisiana) was established in 1714 by Louis Juchereau de St. Denis, making it the oldest permanent settlement in the territory that then composed the Louisiana colony.

Who established the first settlements in Louisiana?
The French explorer Robert Cavelier de La Salle named the region Louisiana in 1682 to honor France's King Louis XIV. The first permanent settlement, Fort Maurepas (at what is now Ocean Springs, Mississippi, near Biloxi), was founded in 1699 by Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville, a French military officer from Canada.
Did the Spanish settle in Louisiana?
Spain governed the colony of Louisiana for nearly four decades, from 1763 through 1802, returning it to France for a few months until the Louisiana Purchase conveyed it to the United States in 1803. Courtesy of The Historic New Orleans Collection.
Where did the Spaniards established their first settlement?
In 1493, during his second voyage, Columbus founded Isabela, the first permanent Spanish settlement in the New World, on Hispaniola.
Who were the 1st inhabitants of Louisiana?
The original inhabitants of the land that New Orleans sits on were the Chitimacha, with the Atakapa, Caddo, Choctaw, Houma, Natchez, and Tunica inhabiting other areas throughout what is now Louisiana.
Who was in Louisiana First the French or the Spanish?
The area had originally been claimed and controlled by France, which had named it La Louisiane in honor of King Louis XIV in 1682. Spain secretly acquired the territory from France near the end of the Seven Years' War by the terms of the Treaty of Fontainebleau (1762).
Who were the first settlers in Louisiana and New Orleans?
The expeditions of De Soto (1542) and La Salle (1682) passed through the area, but there were few permanent white settlers before 1718, when the governor of French Louisiana, Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville, founded the city of Nouvelle-Orléans on the first crescent of high ground above the Mississippi's ...
What states were originally settled by Spain?
CardsTerm searched for the Fountain of YouthDefinition Ponce de LeonTerm What industry did the Spanish establish in the American West?Definition live stockTerm Which states were originally settled by Spain?Definition New Mexico, San Diego, Southern California, Texas, Arizona, Florida43 more rows•Mar 7, 2013
Where did the Spaniards first land in America?
Even before Jamestown or the Plymouth Colony, the oldest permanent European settlement in what is now the United States was founded in September 1565 by a Spanish soldier named Pedro Menéndez de Avilés in St. Augustine, Florida.
Which US states did Spain colonize?
Spain once had up to 35 colonies throughout the world, some of which it still governs today. The areas that are now the US states of California, Florida, and New Mexico where once governed by Spain, and still hold evidence of this today through place names and local architecture.
How did the Spanish influence Louisiana?
Likely the proudest contributions to Louisiana made by Spain were the plantations and other accomplishments of the Creoles. The process of sugar refinement, the arts and letters, and the ecclesiastical development of the church all carry proud Creole family names.
Why did Spain give Louisiana back to France?
The cession of Louisiana was kept secret for over a year. France feared that Louisiana would become British. As a result, France sought to preempt any actions that Britain would undertake if it became known that Louisiana no longer enjoyed French protection before the Spanish were able to occupy and defend it.
Which country settled Louisiana in the 1600s?
The French settled Louisiana during the 1600s, naming it for their king Louis.
When did Spain lose Louisiana?
1803: In New Orleans, Spain officially transfers (Lower) Louisiana to France in November. Three weeks later, in December, France officially cedes it to the United States.
How did the French get Louisiana from Spain?
Napoleonic France Acquires Louisiana On October 1, 1800, within 24 hours of signing a peace settlement with the United States, First Consul of the Republic of France Napoleon Bonaparte, acquired Louisiana from Spain by the secret Treaty of San Ildefonso.
Why did Spain get Louisiana?
In 1802 Bonaparte forced Spain to return Louisiana to France in the secret Treaty of San Ildefonso. Bonaparte's purpose was to build up a French Army to send to Louisiana to defend his “New France” from British and U.S. attacks. At roughly the same time, a slave revolt broke out in the French held island of Haiti.
What pulled Spanish settlers to colonial Louisiana?
Which factor most likely pulled Spanish settlers to colonial Louisiana? Louisiana was known for religious freedom. Spain discovered gold in Louisiana swamps. Louisiana was a refuge from the revolution in Spain.
Why did the Spanish rule Louisiana?
Spanish rule in Louisiana needed to accommodate an ethnically diverse population. There were large numbers of different Native American tribes, a small but influential European populace that was primarily French, and a small but significant number of Africans, both slave and free. Many of the colony's officials were either French or ...
Why did France offer Louisiana to Spain?
Initially, France offered Louisiana to Spain in order to bring Spain into the conflict on the French side. Spain declined.
What did Ulloa do to the colony?
In an attempt to remedy the damage and set the colony exclusively within the commercial sphere of Spain, Ulloa turned to various economic expedients which only worsened the situation. He also promulgated a series of unpopular ordinances.
Why was the cession of Louisiana kept secret?
The cession of Louisiana was kept secret for over a year. France feared that Louisiana would become British. As a result, France sought to preempt any actions that Britain would undertake if it became known that Louisiana no longer enjoyed French protection before the Spanish were able to occupy and defend it.
Why did Louisiana citizens hold a convention in New Orleans?
Louisiana citizens loyal to the French Crown held a convention in New Orleans on October 29, 1768, to air their grievances against Spanish authority. They formally petitioned the Superior Council to reinstate the colony's former status and force Ulloa's departure. The Superior Council issued a decree ordering the expulsion of the Spanish governor and drafted a memorandum to present to the French minister of foreign affairs petitioning for the restoration of French rule, all to no avail. Spain, unwilling to countenance such a revolt, responded with force.
What were the restrictions on trade in Louisiana?
Louisiana's trade was limited to nine ports in Spain and the passage of any ship that did not possess a captain and a crew that were two-thirds Spanish was prohibited. Trade with Great Britain and Mexico was outlawed and the importation of French wine into the colony was banned.
What decree ordered the expulsion of the Spanish governor?
The Superior Council issued a decree ordering the expulsion of the Spanish governor and drafted a memorandum to present to the French minister of foreign affairs petitioning for the restoration of French rule, all to no avail. Spain, unwilling to countenance such a revolt, responded with force.
Which country was given Louisiana back to Spain?
Increasingly subject to the influence of France’s new first consul, Napoleon Bonaparte, the Spanish agreed in October 1800 to cede Louisiana back to France in the secret Treaty of San Ildefonso. In exchange, Spain received a small kingdom in Tuscany.
How long did Spain rule Louisiana?
Spain governed the colony of Louisiana for nearly four decades, from 1763 through 1802, returning it to France for a few months until the Louisiana Purchase conveyed it to the United States in 1803. by Charles Chamberlain, Lo Faber. Share via Facebook.
Why did Louisiana planters shift away from tobacco?
In the 1790s Louisiana planters began to shift away not only from tobacco but also from indigo because that crop, too, proved difficult to sell in the global market. Meanwhile, with no manufacturing to speak of, Louisianans still had to import basic items, such as clothing, shoes, soap, glass bottles, and alcohol.
What were the major events of 1762-1769?
1762–1769: Cession, Uncertainty, and Rebellion . The colony’s economic potential was, ironically, only a secondary consideration for Spanish officials when they initially gained possession of Louisiana through a peace treaty.
How did Lafrénière get executed?
Lafrénière and four others were publicly executed by firing squad. Spanish rule in Louisiana has been portrayed in history books and articles as merciless military despotism, personified by “Bloody O’Reilly” and his violent suppression of the revolt.
What were the major changes in the New Orleans colony during the Spanish period?
Many of them lived in New Orleans, which developed significantly during the Spanish period and was largely rebuilt in the wake of catastrophic fires in 1788 and 1794. Driving these demographic changes was the lower Mississippi Valley’s plantation economy , which accelerated in the mid-1790s as cotton and sugar replaced tobacco and indigo as the region’s major cash crops. Trade and credit connections multiplied—both upriver toward the expanding American West and downriver toward the Gulf—as New Orleans grew into a vital port integrated into the Atlantic economy. By the time Louisiana was sold (over Spanish objections) to the United States, it had been transformed from a sparsely settled military buffer zone into a dynamic commercial center.
Why was Louisiana important to the Spanish?
Spain’s core colonies—the viceroyalties of New Spain and Peru—were structured primarily to extract mineral wealth mined by enslaved natives . Peripheral colonies like Louisiana and Cuba were valued primarily because they helped keep the riches flowing from the mines of Mexico and the Andes. Nowhere in the Americas besides Louisiana did Spain administer a colony based on staple agriculture, with a population of European-descended settlers and African slaves. Spain’s rulers were not particularly adept at, or interested in, governing such a colony—and were much less so in a period when geopolitical upheavals were bringing that colony into an ever-closer relationship with the fast-growing American republic.
When was Louisiana first settled?
The first traces of permanent settlement, ushering in the Archaic period, appear about 5,500 years ago . The area formed part of the Eastern Agricultural Complex.
When did La Louisiane become a colony?
European influence began in the 16th century, and La Louisiane (named after Louis XIV of France) became a colony of the Kingdom of France in 1682, before passing to Spain in 1763. It became part of the United States following the Louisiana Purchase of 1803.
What were the Mississippian cultures?
The Mississippian period in Louisiana saw the emergence of the Plaquemine and Caddoan Mississippian cultures. This was the period when extensive maize agriculture was adopted. The Plaquemine culture in the lower Mississippi River Valley in western Mississippi and eastern Louisiana began in 1200 AD and continued until about 1600 AD. Good examples of this culture are the Medora Site (the type site for the culture and period), Fitzhugh Mounds, Transylvania Mounds, and Scott Place Mounds in Louisiana and the Anna, Emerald, Winterville and Holly Bluff sites located in Mississippi. Plaquemine culture was contemporaneous with the Middle Mississippian culture at the Cahokia site near St. Louis, Missouri. By 1000 AD in the northwestern part of the state the Fourche Maline culture had evolved into the Caddoan Mississippian culture. By 1400 AD Plaquemine had started to hybridize through contact with Middle Mississippian cultures to the north and became what archaeologist term Plaquemine Mississippian. These peoples are considered ancestral to historic groups encountered by the first Europeans in the area, the Natchez and Taensa peoples. The Caddoan Mississippians covered a large territory, including what is now eastern Oklahoma, western Arkansas, northeast Texas, and northwest Louisiana. Archaeological evidence that the cultural continuity is unbroken from prehistory to the present, and that the direct ancestors of the Caddo and related Caddo language speakers in prehistoric times and at first European contact and the modern Caddo Nation of Oklahoma is unquestioned today. Significant Caddoan Mississippian archaeological sites in Louisiana include Belcher Mound Site in Caddo Parish and Gahagan Mounds Site in Red River Parish.
How many miles of levees were built in Louisiana?
As the 19th century progressed, the state had an interest in ensuring levee construction. By 1860, Louisiana had built 740 miles (1,190 km) of levees on the Mississippi River and another 450 miles (720 km) of levees on its outlets. These immense earthworks were built mostly by hand.
How did the Louisiana levee system help the state?
Construction and elaboration of the levee system was critical to the state's ability to cultivate its commodity crops of cotton and sugar cane. Enslaved Africans built the first levees under planter direction. Later levees were expanded, heightened and added to mostly by Irish immigrant laborers, whom contractors hired when doing work for the state. As the 19th century progressed, the state had an interest in ensuring levee construction. By 1860, Louisiana had built 740 miles (1,190 km) of levees on the Mississippi River and another 450 miles (720 km) of levees on its outlets. These immense earthworks were built mostly by hand. They averaged six feet in height, and up to twenty feet in some areas.
How did Spanish rule affect the pace of francophone immigration to the territory?
Spanish rule did not affect the pace of francophone immigration to the territory, which increased due to the expulsion of the Acadians. Several thousand French-speaking refugees from Acadia (now Nova Scotia, Canada) migrated to colonial Louisiana. The first group of around 200 arrived in 1765, led by Joseph Broussard (also referrerd to as "Beausoleil"). They settled chiefly in the southwestern Louisiana region now called Acadiana. The Acadian refugees were welcomed by the Spanish as additions of Catholic population. Their white descendants came to be called Cajuns and their black descendants, mixed with African ancestry came to be called Creole. Additionally, some Creole Louisianians also have Native American and/or Spanish ancestry.
Which country ceded most of its territory east of the Mississippi to the Kingdom of Great Britain after its defeat in the?
France ceded most of its territory east of the Mississippi to the Kingdom of Great Britain after its defeat in the Seven Years' War. The area around New Orleans and the parishes around Lake Pontchartrain, along with the rest of Louisiana, became a possession of Spain after the Seven Years' War by the Treaty of Paris of 1763.
Where is the oldest European settlement in Louisiana?
High above the bank of Cane River Lake, you'll find the oldest European settlement in Louisiana. Predating New Orleans by four years, the city of Natchitoches has a striking resemblance to the slightly younger French Quarter. "Natchitoches has sometimes been called by people the little New Orleans," says Tommy Adkins, ...
Was Natchitoches abandoned?
The fort at Natchitoches was abandoned. But the early European influence lives on in the family names, and the historic architecture of this old city. The state of Louisiana used original French plans for the reconstruction of Fort St. Jean Baptiste.
Where did the Acadians come from?
In truth, these Acadians had come to Louisiana not directly from New York but from South Carolina and Georgia, to where the British had deported them in the fall of 1755. The historical record offers a tortured itinerary these exiles may have followed before finally finding a home in lower Louisiana. In the spring of 1756, Georgia authorities looked the other way as Acadians languishing on the colony's beaches purchased or built boats to return to their homeland. The Cormier s, Landry s, Poirier s, and Richard s may have been among the Acadians who made it as far as Long Island, New York, where, on 22 August 1756, they came ashore, likely the victims of a maritime mishap. New York authorities "detained" them in that colony for seven years, "until peace was declared." At war's end, finally free to go, they headed south, perhaps eventually to join their kinsmen in French St.-Domingue, to where French officials had lured hundreds of exiles in the seaboard colonies to work on a new naval base on the northwest shore of the island or on indigo and coffee plantations in the island's interior. In late August 1763, South Carolina authorities counted three of the families--the Cormier s, Poirier s, and Richard s--at Charles Town, and the Landry s down the coast at Port Royal, not far from Georgia. Or perhaps, as some historians insist, the families had spent their entire exile in Georgia. After moving to South Carolina following the declaration of peace, they decided to return to their homeland, made it only as far as New York, changed their minds, and sailed back to Georgia, all within a four-month period. 302a
Who were the first Cajuns?
As late as 1979, one encounters passages such as this in William Faulkner Rush ton's The Cajuns : "Upon arriving in Louisiana in 1754, Salvador and Jean Diogène Mouton and their families were thrust into the company of highly advanced Indians who, as in Nova Scotia, lived near the lands the Acadians settled." Rushton's chronology asserts: "1754--Five Mouton brothers and one nephew begin their immigration to Louisiana, the first Cajun settlers in the state." And, again under the heading 1754: "April 6--The first fully documented arrival of Cajun refugees in Louisiana: four families, totaling twenty people, who had arrived via New York." U nder the heading 1756, we find: "Scattered Acadian refugees dumped in Maryland, the Carolinas, and Georgia begin heading for Louisiana." And: "1757--The first chapel is established at St. James Parish, soon to become the principal settlement of the Acadian Coast along Louisiana's Mississippi River." Also: "1761--In Louisiana, the first Cajun name appears in the cattle industry's so-called brand book: Bernard ." And, finally, "1764--In December a boatload of 20 refugees turns up in New Orleans." Every assertion undocumented, in a work filled with gross inaccuracies.
How many arpents were there in the bayou?
The typical land holding was 6 arpents frontage on the bayou by 40 arpents deep, as on the river, but there were exceptions: Acadians Jean Sonnier, who had come to the colony from Halifax in 1765, Firmin Babin, who had come to the colony from Maryland in 1768, and Jacques Mius d'Entremont, held 8 arpents frontage apiece; Estevan Ernandez and Bernardo Rivero, probably Isleños, and Domingue LaCoste and André LaCoste, probably French Creoles, also held 8 arpents frontage apiece; Lieutenant Vives and Miguel Suares held 9 arpents frontage each; Commandant Verret, Augustin Domingo (probably an Isleño ), and Acadian Germain Bergeron, held 10 arpents frontage apiece; and Nicolas Daublin, with his Indian wife and a dozen slaves, held 12 arpents fronting the bayou. 474
What happened to the Opelousas Acadians in 1773?
I n 1773, a hurricane damaged many of their homesteads. Dissatisfied with life in a district where they were a distinct minority, some of the Opelousas Acadians asked Governor Luis de Unzaga for permission to migrate to French St.-Domingue. Unzaga refused to let them go, so they sought permission at least to move south into the Attakapas District, where many of their relatives lived and probably where they sought to go all along. Again, Unzaga refused to let them leave, but some of them sold their lands and moved to Attakapas anyway. Unzaga, like many another powerful official who thought he could control these people, was learning a lesson in Acadian stubbornness; in the end, the governor relented. Most of the Opelousas Acadians remained in the district, however, and built up their livestock herds. 336 map
How many marriages did the Acadians have in Louisiana?
South Louisiana church records reveal 483 Acadian marriages recorded during the first 20 years of the exiles' presence in the colony. Of these recorded marriages, 74, or a bit over 15 percent, were exogamous. As Louisiana historian Glenn Conrad attests: "... this investigator was surprised to discover how soon and to what extent Acadians were marrying non-Acadians." True, the great majority of Acadians in Louisiana, then and in the decades to follow, married their own kind . However, considering that these marriages occurred during a time when Acadians were struggling to establish their place in Spanish Louisiana, the number of these "mixed" marriages is remarkable . T hey also hint that the Acadian culture in Louisiana was evolving into something different from the culture of their fathers. 428
When did the Acadians arrive in La Balize?
The first Acadian exiles from Halifax arrive at La Balize, February 1765 ... 01a
Who was the cousin of Olivier de Goutin?
In New Orleans, Olivier and cousin Joseph may have enjoyed a tearful reunion. Nor would it be surprising if the retired officer was kin to other members of the party. S oon after the party reached the city, de Goutin 's eldest son Jean-Baptiste de Ville, only 12 years old, served as godfather at the baptism of 3-year-old Jean-Baptiste Poirier. After Olivie and his fellow exiles settled at Cabahannocer, they likely sent out word by the remarkable Acadian grapevine that the French authorities in Louisiana had welcomed them to the colony. 304
What was the Manilamen's role in Louisiana?
Library of Congress. The Manilamen and their families became an integral part of Louisiana’s multicultural society. Their multiethnic families often blurred and challenged the racial lines imposed by mainstream society.
When was Manilamen settled?
The fishing village in marshlands of present-day Louisiana was settled by the so-called Manilamen as early as 1763.
How did the Manilamen revolutionize the shrimping industry in the South?
The Manilamen revolutionized the shrimping industry in the south by introducing methods such as the Shrimp Dance. The method was a process of separating shrimp shells from the meat by teams of fishermen dancing and stomping on piles of shrimp in a circular motion.
What happened to the Manilamen in 1915?
However, in 1915 the village of Saint Malo was destroyed by a Category 4 hurricane that swept through New Orleans. According to their descendants, countless Manilamen stayed behind for many years in what remained of their village after the hurricane.
What was the name of the Spanish ship that sailed once or twice per year across the Pacific Ocean?
Fight for the Manila galleons between, c. 18th century. The Manila galleons were Spanish trading ships that sailed once or twice per year across the Pacific Ocean between Manila (Philippines) and Acapulco (New Spain).
When was Saint Malo established?
According to oral traditions there was already an existing Filipino community in Saint Malo as early as 1763 when both the Philippines and Louisiana were under the Spanish colonial government in Mexico. However, the oldest known documentation of Saint Malo as a Filipino settlement only dates back to the 19th century.
Where was Hurricane Katrina?
Hurricane Katrina. The village of St. Malo, in swampland of southeast Louisiana. In 2005, the descendants of the Madriaga and Burtanog families hosted a grand reunion in a camp similar to the stilt houses of Saint Malo and Manila Village where their grandparents and great-grandparents were raised.

Overview
French exploration and colonization (1682–1763)
European interest in Louisiana was dormant until the late 17th century, when French expeditions, which had imperial, religious and commercial aims, established a foothold on the Mississippi River and Gulf Coast. With its first settlements, France lay claim to a vast region of North America and set out to establish a commercial empire and French nation stretching from the Gulf of …
Prehistory
The Dalton tradition is a Late Paleo-Indian and Early Archaic projectile point tradition, appearing in much of Southeast North America around 8500–7900 BC.
During the Archaic period, Louisiana was home to the earliest mound complex in North America and one of the earliest dated complex constructions in the Americas. The Watson Brake site is an arrangement of human-made mounds lo…
Spanish interregnum (1763–1803)
France ceded most of its territory east of the Mississippi to the Kingdom of Great Britain after its defeat in the Seven Years' War. The area around New Orleans and the parishes around Lake Pontchartrain, along with the rest of Louisiana, became a possession of Spain after the Seven Years' War by the Treaty of Paris of 1763.
Incorporation into the United States and antebellum years (1803–1860)
As a result of his setbacks, Napoleon gave up his dreams of American empire and sold Louisiana (New France) to the United States. The U.S. divided the land into two territories: the Territory of Orleans, which became the state of Louisiana in 1812, and the District of Louisiana, which consisted of the vast lands not included in the Orleans Territory, extending west of the Mississippi River north to Canada. The Florida Parishes were annexed from the short-lived and strategically i…
Secession and the Civil War (1860–1865)
With its plantation economy, Louisiana was a state that generated wealth from the labor of and trade in enslaved Africans. It also had one of the largest free black populations in the United States, totaling 18,647 people in 1860. Most of the free blacks (or free people of color, as they were called in the French tradition) lived in the New Orleans region and southern part of the state. More than in other areas of the South, most of the free people of color were of mixed race. Many gens …
Reconstruction, disenfranchisement, and segregation (1865–1929)
Following the Civil War, much of the South, including Louisiana, was placed under the supervision of military governors under northern command. Louisiana was grouped with Texas in what was administered as the Fifth Military District. Under this period of Reconstruction Era, the slaves were freed and males were given suffrage. African Americans began to live as citizens with some measure of equality before the law. Both freedmen and people of color who had been free before …
Orphan trains
During some of this period, Louisiana accepted Catholic orphans in an urban resettlement program organized in New York City. Opelousas was a destination for at least three of the Orphan Trains which carried orphan children out of New York from 1854 to 1929. It was the heart of a traditional Catholic region of French, Spanish, Acadian, African and French West Indian heritage and traditions. Families in Louisiana took in more than 2,000 mostly Catholic orphans to live in rural f…