Louisiana (New France)

French Louisiana was a part of New France. In 1682, a French explorer named René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle put up a cross near the mouth of the Mississippi River. He claimed all the land around the Mississippi River for King Louis XIV and named it “Louisiana”. This land stretched from near the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico and from the Appalachian Mountains to the Rocky Mountains.

The area was ruled by France from 1682 to 1762 and again partly from 1801 to 1803. Louisiana had two parts: Upper Louisiana, which started north of the Arkansas River, and Lower Louisiana. The U.S. state of Louisiana is named after this old area, but it is only a small part of the big lands France once claimed.

France began exploring the area during the time of King Louis XIV, but they did not build much there because they did not have enough people or money. After losing the Seven Years' War, France gave the east part of the land to Britain in 1763 and the west part to Spain. France got control of the western land again in 1800 but sold it to the United States in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Today, you can still see reminders of when France was there, especially in New Orleans and along the Mississippi River.

Boundaries, settlement and geography

In the 1700s, the area called Louisiana was a huge part of North America. It stretched from near the Great Lakes down to the Gulf of Mexico, and from the Appalachian Mountains out to the Rocky Mountains. Most of this land was part of the Mississippi River watershed.

Only two main areas saw many French settlers. The first was Upper Louisiana, also called the Illinois Country, which included parts of today’s Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana. The second was Lower Louisiana, covering parts of today’s Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Alabama.

Lower Louisiana marked in yellow; pink represents Canada. Part of Canada below the great lakes was ceded to Louisiana in 1717. Brown represents British colonies. Original map from 1719

Both areas had many Native American tribes living there. The land was mostly flat, making it easy to travel, though it became more hilly toward the west.

Lower Louisiana included lands along the lower Mississippi River. French explorers first visited in the 1660s and set up trading posts. Real settlement began in 1686 at Arkansas Post and grew with Fort Maurepas near today’s Biloxi, Mississippi in 1699. The capital moved from Mobile to Biloxi and finally to New Orleans in 1722.

Upper Louisiana, or the Illinois Country, was explored in 1673 by Louis Joliet and Jacques Marquette. Settlers from French Canada came here and mixed with local Illinois peoples. They liked the farmland and the forests for hunting and trapping.

A new map of the north parts of America claimed by France under the names of Louisiana in 1720 by Herman Moll

Important settlements in Upper Louisiana included Cahokia, Kaskaskia, Fort de Chartres, Saint Philippe, Prairie du Rocher, and Ste. Genevieve.

After France lost control of the area, many French settlers moved to places like St. Louis.

A special way of speaking French, called Missouri French, developed in this area. It was different from other French dialects and was spoken in the Midwest until the 20th century, though very few people speak it today.

History

From 1718 to 1763, Louisiana was part of the French Empire. Later, it became part of the Spanish Empire until 1802, then the French Republic, and finally the United States of America from 1803 onward. During the American Civil War (1861–1865), it was briefly part of the Confederate States of America before rejoining the United States.

Painting by Theodore Gudin titled La Salle's Expedition to Louisiana in 1684. The ship on the left is La Belle, in the middle is Le Joly, and L'Aimable is to the right. They are at the entrance to Matagorda Bay

In the 1600s, France began exploring North America. French explorers wanted to find a route to China, use the land's natural resources, and spread their religion. In 1682, René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle traveled down the Mississippi River to its mouth. He claimed the area for France and named it “Louisiana” after the French king, Louis XIV. He built forts and made friends with local tribes.

Later, La Salle tried to start a colony but faced many problems. French settlers kept exploring and building communities in the region. Over time, Louisiana changed hands between France, Spain, and the United States.

Political and administrative organization

It was hard for Louis XIV and the kings after him to manage Louisiana, a land much bigger than European France. They wanted to control the colony but often didn’t give it enough money to work well.

Jean-Baptiste Colbert

Louis XIV and his team wanted to grow New France and keep it safe from other European countries, especially Britain. They kept control tightly and didn’t want local groups to have too much power. Over time, Louisiana changed rulers, from a rich businessman to the king again. The colony used laws from Metropolitan France, like the Custom of Paris, which helped keep things fair.

Louisiana was part of New France, which also included parts of modern-day Canada. It was ruled by a governor-general and a commissaire-ordonnateur, who managed money and kept order. Because Louisiana was so big and far from Quebec, different areas often managed themselves. The main city moved from Mobile to Biloxi and finally to New Orleans in 1722.

Religious establishment

Saint Louis Cathedral in New Orleans

The French lands in North America were led by one Catholic church area based in Quebec. The church leader was chosen and paid by the king. Because there wasn’t much close watching, people in Louisiana didn’t follow their faith as closely as people in France or Canada did. The money the church collected from people was also less than in France.

Even so, the church was very important in exploring French Louisiana. It sent groups, mostly led by the Jesuits, to teach Native American people about their beliefs. The church also started schools and hospitals. By 1720, the Ursulines were running a hospital in New Orleans. Church workers met with many Native American tribes. Some priests joined exploring trips. The Jesuits translated prayers into many Native American languages to help teach them. They also tried to connect Native traditions with Christian teachings. A mixed belief system grew among some new followers of the church. True and lasting changes in belief were few; many people who learned about the church mixed its ideas with their own beliefs or didn’t accept them at all.

Colonial society

It is hard to know exactly how many people lived in France's colonies in North America. We have good records about the colonists and enslaved Africans, but it is difficult to know about the Native American peoples. During the 1700s, the society of Louisiana became very mixed.

Language

The Code Noir, which was applied in Louisiana during the 18th century and, later, with some modifications, in the West Indies

Colonial French was a special way of speaking French used in Louisiana. It was spoken by many people, including Creoles and Cajuns. After many Acadians came to Louisiana, their way of speaking also changed the language.

Native Americans

In the year 1500, about seven million Native Americans lived in North America. Many died from new diseases brought by Europeans. By the late 1600s, there were probably only 100,000 to 200,000 Native Americans left in Lower Louisiana. Some were forced to work for French colonists.

Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville, governor of Louisiana in the early 17th century

Enslaved Africans

In 1717, French leaders decided to bring enslaved Africans to Louisiana to work on plantations. By 1730, most people in the colony were enslaved. Life was very hard for them, but they also brought their own traditions, like the vegetable okra, which is used in gumbo.

Colonists

French unmarried women transported to Louisiana as brides for the colonists

Many French people came to Louisiana, but it was difficult. The climate was very different, and diseases were common. Some settlers were young men who had to work for a time to pay for their journey. Others were women sent to marry soldiers. Over time, people from many places, including Switzerland, Germany, Spain, and Acadia, came to live there.

Creoles

Creoles were people born in Louisiana to European parents. Louisiana did not get as many French settlers as other places. Life was tough, with storms, floods, and diseases.

A coureur des bois

Peasants, artisans, and merchants

Life was easier for some people in Louisiana than in France. Some traders became wealthy, and large planters lived in a fancy way, copying styles from Paris.

French soldiers

The King sent soldiers to protect the colony. Some soldiers ran away to live with Native American tribes.

Coureurs des bois

Coureurs des bois were adventurers who explored the forests and rivers of North America. They traded furs with Native Americans and sometimes married into their tribes. One famous coureur des bois was Toussaint Charbonneau, husband of Sacagawea, who helped the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

French and the Native Americans

France wanted the Native Americans to join the French kingdom and follow the Christian faith. But because France was far away and there were not many French settlers, the Native Americans mostly lived on their own. Local leaders and officers could not always enforce rules, so they often made agreements with the tribes.

The Native Americans were very important to the French settlers. They helped the settlers survive, traded furs with them, and acted as guides on journeys. Their help was also important in battles against other tribes and rival European colonies.

The two groups learned from each other in many ways. The French learned Native American languages, and the Native Americans bought items like cloth, alcohol, and guns from the French. Sometimes, they even shared their religious beliefs. French trappers and soldiers used canoes and moccasins, and they ate foods like wild rice, bear, and dog. Even today, some foods like jambalaya have roots in these shared traditions. Native American healers sometimes helped French settlers using natural remedies.

While many settlers respected the Native Americans, others did not always agree with their customs. There were occasional conflicts, but overall, the relationship was mostly peaceful and built on discussion and compromise.

Economy of French Louisiana

Illinois Country

Main article: Illinois Country

The northern part of French Louisiana, called the Illinois Country, had few people. It used to be part of French Canada but became part of Louisiana in 1717. People there farmed grain and cereals. French farmers lived in villages near places like Fort de Chartres, Kaskaskia, Prairie du Rocher, and Sainte-Geneviève. They grew corn and wheat and raised animals like horses, cows, and pigs. They also grew small amounts of tobacco, hemp, flax, and grapes, but most wine came from France.

Trading posts in the Illinois Country were important for the fur trade. They traded animal skins for things like weapons and cloth. These posts were often strong and sometimes made of stone, like Fort de Chartres. The Illinois Country also made salt and lead and provided food to New Orleans.

Lower Louisiana

In Lower Louisiana, large farms called plantations grew many different crops. The farm owners lived in New Orleans but had others manage the farms for them.

The crops grown there were chosen to suit the weather and land. Some crops, like corn, vegetables, rice, and livestock, were used by people living there. Other crops, like tobacco and indigo, were sent to France.

Economic role of New Orleans

New Orleans was the main city for trade in Louisiana, even though it was still small for many years. The people there built things to help with trade, like a canal in 1723. Shops along the Mississippi River were also used for storing goods. New Orleans sent animal skins and farm products to other places. It also received supplies from France, such as food, alcohol, weapons, tools, and clothes. New Orleans sold wood, rice, and corn to French islands in the West Indies.

End of French Louisiana

Seven Years' War and its consequences

Main article: Louisiana (New Spain)

Tensions between the French and British grew before the Seven Years' War in Europe. In North America, this was called the French and Indian War. The French lost many battles in Canada between 1758 and 1760, including the surrender of Quebec. Without Canada, it became hard to protect Louisiana.

The Treaty of Paris, signed on February 10, 1763, ended French control in North America. Canada and the east side of the Mississippi River went to Great Britain (Province of Quebec (1763–1791)). New Orleans and the west side of the river were given to Spain in secret the year before. Some settlers left, but Spain took control, calling the area Luisiana. Spain did not bring many new people. The United States wanted to grow west, and in 1795, they were allowed to use the Mississippi River for trade.

Ephemeral renewal of French Louisiana

Main articles: Third Treaty of San Ildefonso and Treaty of Aranjuez (1801)

French heritage today

Further information: History of the Franco-Americans, French in the United States, and Métis people (United States)

The time when France ruled Louisiana left a culture that people still enjoy today. French languages, like Louisiana Creole French and Cajun French, have had a hard time surviving, so groups such as the CODOFIL help keep them alive. Many towns in the United States have French names, like St. Louis, Detroit, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans.

Louisiana’s culture has music and festivals that began when France was in charge. Creole songs helped create the blues and jazz, and Cajun music is still loved. The Carnival time in New Orleans, especially around Mardi Gras Day, shows how much traditions from France still matter.