Louisiana Is Found and Claimed by France
LaSalle (Rene Robert Cavalier) sailed down
the Mississippi and claimed Louisiana for France in 1682. He named
it after his king (Louis XIV). Although the group did a bit of exploring,
they did not stray far from the River. LaSalle tried to return with
a group of settlers in 1686, but bypassed Louisiana and landed at Texas.
After losing all 4 ships, he and a group of men set off for supplies.
Along the way, his dictatorial attitude caused his men to rebel and kill
him.
The colony was left alone for over a decade,
until Iberville was asked to try to settle the area. He arrived in
1699 with a small group of settlers.
The First Settlers
Since Louisiana was basically wilderness, few
families were anxious to tame a new land. Many of the first inhabitants
of Louisiana were soldiers and people who came to make money ... they often
returned home after they had taken care of their "business" in Louisiana.
Also, France sent a number of "undesirables" ... prisoners, prostitutes,
etc. ... to Louisiana to rid themselves of this class of people.
It even got to the point that the poor in France were picked up and sent
to the colony. This made early Louisiana an poor choice for families
of settlers.
The territory of Louisiana was handled as
a business enterprise. Someone was given control of the area in return
for development and colonization. Antoine Crozat was in charge from 1712
to 1717. When he realized his "investment" wasn't paying off, he
relinquished
the claim. John Law and his Company of the Indies took over Louisiana.
At that time, land was not given to individual settlers. Large sections
of land were given to wealthy entrepreneurs. These large landowners then
recruited "engages" to settle and work the land. They were like indentured
servants who signed on for a specified number of years. Individual land
ownership among common people was rare.
John Law, and the Company of the Indies, settled
Germans along the Mississippi River (in
present-day St. Charles and St. John the Baptist Parish) in 1721. When
the Company of the Indies folded in 1731, the Germans were released from their obligation and became independant land-owners.
Slow Growth
Over the next few decades, the population of
the Louisiana grew, but it still numbered only a few thousand. Most
of the population outside of the few towns (such as Natchitoches, New Orleans,
and Opelousas) were business people and the military. The population
of today's 'Cajun Country' was extremely small when Spain gained control
of Louisiana in the 1760s. It is under 4 decades of Spanish rule
that the population of Louisiana saw significant gains.
Louisiana was a "lost colony" from 1754 to
1763. Louis Billouart, Chevalier de Kerlerec was governor during
this time. France sent no settlers, money, or supplies. France
had lost interest in the colony.
Spain Gets Louisiana
At the secret treaty at Fontainebleau, France
on 11/3/1762, France ceded all of the colony west of the Mississippi River
and the Isle of Orleans to Spain. The French king gave it to his
cousin (the Spanish king) so England wouldn't get it. Officially,
it was to repay Spain for helping France in its war against England.
Kerlerec was replaced in 1763 by Jean Jacques d'Abbadie, who found too
much freedom and a shortage of all supplies. [Eakin,
Culbertson: p. 129]
Official word of Spanish control didn't come
until Sept. 30, 1764, and an announcement was posted. Notices were
usually posted on church doors. People were upset; they had heard
bad stories of Spanish control and strict domination. They sent a
petition to the French king to protest; it was taken by Jean Milhet.
But neither he nor the elderly Bienville could get to see the king.
Though Louisiana was now a Spanish territory, it still looked French.
The French flag even flew from the government buildings. [Eakin,
Culbertson: p. 133] The key piece of information is
that Spain still allowed the Acadians to settle in Louisiana. Although
the Acadians would no doubt be disappointed that they would be on Spanish
soil, it was still a Catholic area and the environment was still predominantly
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