
What was the first permanent French settlement in Louisiana?
P ierre Le Moyne d’Iberville, Canadian soldier and explorer, is often described as the founder of the first permanent French settlement in Louisiana. After a prestigious and lengthy career with the military in New France, Iberville traveled on an expedition that arrived in Louisiana in 1699.
What were the 6 major settlements in Upper Louisiana?
Between 1699 and 1760, six major settlements were established in Upper Louisiana: Cahokia, Kaskaskia, Fort de Chartres, Saint Philippe, and Prairie du Rocher, all on the east side of the Mississippi River in present-day Illinois; and Ste.
What is the history of the Louisiana Territory?
History of Louisiana. Louisiana portal. Louisiana (French: La Louisiane; La Louisiane française) or French Louisiana was an administrative district of New France. Under French control 1682 to 1762 and 1801 (nominally) to 1803, the area was named in honor of King Louis XIV, by French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle.
What happened to Upper Louisiana after France lost its claim?
Even after France had lost its claim to Louisiana, settlement of Upper Louisiana by French-speakers continued for the next four decades. French explorers and frontiersmen, such as Pedro Vial, were often employed as guides and interpreters by the Spanish and later by the Americans.

What was the first settlement in Louisiana?
Fort MaurepasThe 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.
What is the original name of Louisiana?
La LouisianeEtymology. Louisiana was named after Louis XIV, King of France from 1643 to 1715. When René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle claimed the territory drained by the Mississippi River for France, he named it La Louisiane.
What was the name of the large French settlement in Louisiana at the time?
La LouisianeIn 1682, the French claimed what came to be known as the Louisiana Territory or “La Louisiane,” an immense parcel of land named in honor of King Louis XIV.
Who was the first settlers in Louisiana?
The first Europeans to arrive in Louisiana were Spanish explorers. First came Panfilo de Narvaez in 1528 and then Hernando de Soto in 1543. However, Europeans did not return and begin to settle the land for over 100 years.
What does Louisiana mean in English?
British Dictionary definitions for Louisiana Louisiana. / (luːˌiːzɪˈænə) / noun. a state of the southern US, on the Gulf of Mexico: originally a French colony; bought by the US in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase; chiefly low-lying. Capital: Baton Rouge.
What does Louisiana mean in French?
Louisiana (French: La Louisiane; La Louisiane française) or French Louisiana was an administrative district of New France. Under French control from 1682 to 1769 and 1801 (nominally) to 1803, the area was named in honor of King Louis XIV, by French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle.
Why is it called the French Quarter?
The French Quarter is located on the banks of the Mississippi River where New Orleans was established by the French in 1718. The site was selected not only because the riverfront is relatively high amid low-lying swampland, but because of its proximity to Lake Pontchartrain which, via Bayou St.
What was the name of the first 2 English colonies in America?
After Roanoke Colony failed in 1587, the English found more success with the founding of Jamestown in 1607 and Plymouth in 1620. The two colonies were very different in origin.
Was New Orleans a Spanish settlement?
For 40 years New Orleans was a Spanish city, trading heavily with Cuba and Mexico and adopting the Spanish racial rules that allowed for a class of free people of color. The city was ravaged by fires in 1788 and 1794 and rebuilt in brick with buildings and a cathedral that still stand today.
Why is Louisiana called Louisiana?
Louisiana was named after King Louis XIV when the land was claimed for France in 1862. Louisiana is called the Pelican State because of its state bird. Please be respectful of copyright.
What is the oldest town in Louisiana?
Natchitoches The City of NatchitochesThe City of Natchitoches is the heart of Natchitoches Parish. Founded in 1714 the site was established near a village of Natchitoches Indians. As the oldest permanent settlement in the Louisiana Purchase territory, its history is also a story of the development of our nation.
Did the French settle in Louisiana?
In the 17th century, Louisiana was colonized by French Canadians in the name of the King of France. In the years that followed, additional waves of settlers came from French Canada to Louisiana, notably the Acadians, after their deportation by British troops in 1755.
What was Louisiana before it became state?
Originally colonized by the French during the 18th century, it became U.S. territory as part of the historic Louisiana Purchase in 1803, and was admitted to the union in 1812.
Who was Louisiana named for?
King Louis XIVFrench explorer Robert Cavelier de La Salle first claimed the Louisiana Territory, which he named for King Louis XIV, during a 1682 canoe expedition down the Mississippi River.
What is Louisiana's nickname and why?
The nickname for Louisiana is The Pelican State. The brown pelican is the state bird and appears on Louisiana's state flag, great seal, the official state painting (along with many other symbols and icons of Louisiana), and is one of three Louisiana symbols displayed on the U.S. mint's bicentennial Louisiana quarter.
What does Baton Rouge mean in English?
Red StickHe and his men saw the bloodied cypress pole on the bluff, adorned with animal parts and stained red from the tribes' latest haul, and dubbed the area "le bâton rouge," French for "Red Stick".
When was the title "pater patriae" awarded?
Notes that he was awarded the title 'pater patriae' in 2 BC.
What happened to Augustus in the spring of 23 BC?
In late spring of 23 BC, Augustus suffered a severe illness and was put to his supposed 'deathbed'. He therefore handed Piso, his co-consul, all of his official documents, a public finance account and authority over all listed troops in the provinces.
What was the French colony of Louisiana?
Generally speaking, the French colony of Louisiana bordered the Great Lakes, particularly Lake Michigan and Lake Erie towards the north; this region was the "Upper Country" of the French province of Canada. To the east was territory disputed with the thirteen British colonies on the Atlantic seaboard; the French claim extended to the Appalachian Mountains. The Rocky Mountains marked the western extent of the French claim, while Louisiana's southern border was the Gulf of Mexico.
What is Louisiana named after?
t. e. Louisiana ( French: La Louisiane; La Louisiane française) or French Louisiana was an administrative district of New France. Under French control 1682 to 1769 and 1801 (nominally) to 1803, the area was named in honor of King Louis XIV, by French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle.
What were the two states that the French settled in?
Within this vast territory, only two areas saw substantial French settlement: Upper Louisiana ( French: Haute-Louisiane ), also known as the Illinois Country ( French: Pays des Illinois ), which consisted of settlements in what are now the states of Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana; and Lower Louisiana, which comprised parts of the modern states of Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Alabama. Both areas were dominated numerically by Native American tribes. At times, fewer than two hundred French soldiers were assigned to all of the colony, on both sides of the Mississippi. In the mid-1720s, Louisiana Indians numbered well over 35,000, forming a clear majority of the colony's population."
Why were the Native Americans regarded as subjects of the King of France?
In official rhetoric, the Native Americans were regarded as subjects of the king of France, but in reality, they were largely autonomous due to their numerical superiority. The local authorities (governors, officers) did not have the means of imposing their decisions, and often compromised. The tribes offered essential support for the French in Louisiana: they ensured the survival of the colonists, participated with them in the fur trade, and were used as guides in expeditions. Their alliance was also essential in wars against other tribes and European colonies.
When did France cede Louisiana to Spain?
1762: France secretly cedes Louisiana to Spain in the Treaty of Fontainebleau (1762). 1763: France cedes Canada and Louisiana east of the Mississippi to Great Britain in the Treaty of Paris. The rest of Louisiana, including New Orleans, is formally ceded to Spain and incorporated as Luisiana or Spanish Louisiana into the Spanish Empire.
Where did the first settlers come from in Louisiana?
The earliest settlers of Upper Louisiana mostly came from French Canada, while Lower Louisiana was colonized by people from all over the French colonial empire, with various waves coming from Canada, France, and the French West Indies.
Which country did France defeat in the War of the Pyrenees?
1795: France defeats Spain in the War of the Pyrenees, ended by the Second Treaty of San Ildefonso. 1800: France regains Louisiana in 1803 in the secret Third Treaty of San Ildefonso. 1801: The Treaty of Aranjuez stipulated the cession of Louisiana from Spain to France to be a "restoration", not a retrocession.
What is the history of the Cajuns?
History of the Cajuns — The German Coast of Louisiana - Includes a Census of the 1724 German Coast. Families of the Louisiana German Coast. Getting to Gemütlichkeit: German History and Culture in Southeast Louisiana. German Settlers in Louisiana and New Orleans. Louisiana German Coast Families (Rootsweb)
What parish is German coast in Louisiana?
Louisiana's German Coast: A History of St. Charles Parish. Steve Fleming's Ancestry. German Residents in the Louisiana 1724 Census. The Settlement of the German Coast of Louisiana and the Creoles of German Descent, by John Hanno Deiler (1909) The German Coast During the Colonial Era, 1722-1803 (Blume) German Coast Families (Robichaux)
What did the German farmers do in New Orleans?
Their farming endeavors provided food not only for themselves but also for New Orleans' residents. Some historians credit these German farmers with the early survival of New Orleans. In 1768 they joined with Acadians from the Cabannocé Post area to march on New Orleans and overthrow Spanish colonial governor Antonio de Ulloa. ...
When did the accordion become a predominant instrument in Cajun music?
As an example, German settlers had introduced the diatonic accordion to the region, which would become a predominant instrument in Cajun music by the early 1900s.
Where did the German Coast settlers come from?
Most of the German Coast settlers hailed from the Rhineland region of Germany and the German-speaking cantons of Switzerland, and at other places today bearing their name, Bayou des Allemands and Lac des Allemands ("Germans' Bayou" and "Germans' Lake," in French).
What did the Germans do with the Acadians?
Eventually, the Germans immigrants intermarried with the Acadians and their descendants, began to speak French, and were transformed along with the Acadians and other regional settlers into the Cajun culture. As an example, German settlers had introduced the diatonic accordion to the region, which would become a predominant instrument in Cajun music by the early 1900s.
Who was the daughter of the intendant?
Born, New Orleans, 1768; daughter of the intendant, Martín Navarro (q.v.), and Francisca Genoveva. Although Navarro never married Francisca, he recognized Adélaïde as his natural daughter and allowed her to use “De Blanco” in her name after the name of his mother’s family. Education: Ursuline Convent in New Orleans.
Who is Francis Tillou?
NICHOLLS, Francis Tillou, attorney, soldier, governor, jurist. Born, Donaldsonville, La., August 20, 1834; son of Thomas Clark Nicholls (q.v.) and Louisa Hannah Drake. Grandson of Edward Church Nicholls (q.v.). Education: Jefferson Academy, New Orleans; U. S. Military Academy at West Point, graduated 1855. Served in the war against the Seminoles. Resigned his commission in the U. S. Army in 1856 and began the practice of law in Napoleonville, La. Civil War service: captain, lieutenant colonel, K.F.S., Eighth Louisiana Infantry In 1862 appointed colonel of the Fifteenth Louisiana Regiment; brigadier general, commanding the Second Louisiana Brigade, lost left arm at first Winchester battle, October 15, 1862; lost a leg at the second battle of Fredericksburg. After the war, resumed law practice in parish. Married, April 26, 1860, Caroline Zilpha Guion, daughter, of George Seth Guion and Caroline Lucretia Winder. Children: Francis Welman (b. 1863), Caroline Winder (b. 1865), Louisa Josephine (b. 1868), Harriet Guion (b. 1870), Virginia McDaniel (b. 1873), Margaret Guion Lawton (b. 1875), Elizabeth Guion (b. 1877). Elected governor in 1876 and again in 1888. During his first administration he worked to rid the state of carpetbag rule. During his second administration he was instrumental in defeating the Louisiana Lottery Company which was struggling to obtain an extension of its charter. Appointed by President Grover Cleveland to the Board of Visitors for West Point. In 1892 appointed chief justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court. Died, Ridgefield Plantation, January 4, 1912; interred St. John’s Episcopal Cemetery, Thibodaux, La. S.R. Sources: Miriam G. Reeves, The Governors of Louisiana (1962); Roy Clashan, American Governors and Gubernatorial Elections, 1775-1975 (1975); anonymous member of the Louisiana Historical Society, “The Nicholls Family in Louisiana,” Louisiana Historical Quarterly, VI (1923); unpublished biography of Governor Nicholls by Evans Casso.
Who were the four brothers that made the voyage to Louisiana?
Four of his brothers—Joseph de Sérigny, Gabriel d’Assigny, Antoine de Châteauguay, and Jean-Baptise Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville— would also make the trip to Louisiana. In 1698, Iberville left Brest, France, aboard the Badine and arrived at Santo Domingo before making a brief stop in Pensacola Bay and finally anchoring in Mobile Bay on January 31, ...
What was the second expedition of Iberville?
Iberville’s second expedition, which included the forty-six-gun frigate Renommée and the seven-hundred-ton flute Gironde, left La Rochelle, France, on October 17. Paul du Ru, a Jesuit priest, and Louis Juchereau de Saint-Denis, the future founder of the French post at Natchitoches, were among the crew that would ultimately arrive at Biloxi on January 8, 1700. While Iberville was away, Sauvole and Bienville explored the environs of Mobile Bay and conducted reconnaissance on local native groups and possible places of settlement. On February 1, Iberville led a party of approximately eighty people to the Mississippi River. Du Ru wrote a journal of his experiences during the expedition, now published and available to contemporary audiences.
What was the name of the ship that Iberville took command of?
In 1687, Iberville took command of the fast-sailing craft Soliel d’Afrique with orders to collect furs on behalf of the Company of the North. A year later, the governor of New France made Iberville commander-in-chief of all French posts on Hudson Bay.
What was the name of the town that Iberville captured?
Iberville participated in the massacre of approximately sixty British settlers at Corlaer (later called Schenectady) in 1690 and the capture of Port Nelson in 1694, followed by a merciless and lucrative expedition against British posts throughout Newfoundland in 1696.
Where did Iberville go?
After a prestigious and lengthy career with the military in New France, Iberville traveled on an expedition that arrived in Louisiana in 1699. With his younger brother Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville, Iberville explored the lower Mississippi River Valley and established Fort Maurepas, near present-day Ocean Springs, Mississippi.
What did Iberville do in 1701?
Iberville commanded a third and final expedition to Louisiana in December of 1701 with the intention to fortify Mobile Bay and prepare the way for permanent French settlement. He ordered the construction of Fort Louis on the present-day site of Mobile in 1702. He also met with Choctaw and Chickasaw leaders in order to develop military alliances and trade partnerships that might compete with British interests. He left Mobile in March and arrived at La Rochelle in June.
What river did Iberville explore?
On February 27, Iberville led a group of Canadians on a small craft expedition in search of the Mississippi River, which he located at 28° 50’ north on March 2. The contents of Iberville’s journals, now published, provide a detailed account of early French exploration of the lower Missis sippi Valley.

Overview
History
In 1660, France started a policy of expansion into the interior of North America from what is now eastern Canada. The objectives were to locate a Northwest Passage to China; to exploit the territory's natural resources, such as fur and mineral ores; and to convert the native population to Catholicism. Fur traders began exploring the pays d'en haut (upper country around the Great Lakes) at the time. In 1659, Pierre-Esprit Radisson and Médard Chouart des Groseilliers reached t…
Boundaries, settlement and geography
In the 18th century, Louisiana included most of the Mississippi River basin (see drawing alongside) from what is now the Midwestern United States south to the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Within this vast territory, only two areas saw substantial French settlement: Upper Louisiana (French: Haute-Louisiane), also known as the Illinois Country (French: Pays des Illinois), which consisted of settlements in what are now the states of Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana; and Lower Lo…
Political and administrative organization
It was not easy for an absolute monarchy to administer Louisiana, a territory several times larger than European France. Louis XIV and his successors tried to impose their absolutist ambitions on the colony, often without giving the colonial administration enough financial means to do its work.
If the leaders of Ancien Régime took control of, and sometimes encouraged, the colonization of New France, it was for many reasons. The reign of Henry IV gave an important impetus to the col…
Religious establishment
The French possessions of North America were under the authority of a single Catholic diocese, whose seat was in Quebec. The archbishop, named and paid by the king, was spiritual head of all New France. With loose religious supervision, the fervor of the population was very weak; Louisianans tended to practice their faith much less than did their counterparts in France and Canada. The tithe, a tax by the clergy on the congregations, produced less revenue than in Fran…
Colonial society
It is difficult to estimate the total population of France's colonies in North America. While historians have relatively precise sources regarding the colonists and enslaved Africans, estimates of Native American peoples is difficult. During the 18th century, the society of Louisiana became quite creolized.
Colonial French (commonly known as Colonial Louisiana French) is a variety of Louisiana Frenc…
French and the Native Americans
Ancien Régime France wished to make Native Americans subjects of the king and good Christians, but the distance from Metropolitan France and the sparseness of French settlement prevented this. In official rhetoric, the Native Americans were regarded as subjects of the king of France, but in reality, they were largely autonomous due to their numerical superiority. The local authorities (governors, officers) did not have the means of imposing their decisions, and often co…
Economy of French Louisiana
This comparatively sparsely-settled northern area of French Louisiana was formerly the southern part of French Canada, and was transferred in 1717 by order of the King. It lies along the Mississippi and its tributaries, and was primarily devoted to grain and cereals agriculture. The French farmers lived in villages (such as near Fort de Chartres (the colonial administrative center), Kaskaskia, Prairie du Rocher, and Sainte-Geneviève). They cultivated the land with paid and slav…