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French Louisiane

I. Early ExplorationHernando De SotoSieur de La Salle

II. IbervilleBaton Rouge and PontchartrainFirst SettlementsEarly Colonists V. The Code Noir

III. Bienville Takes Charge 2nd Natchez WarCoureurs de Bois Bienville ReturnsLouisiane Economics VI. End of French Louisiane

French Government French & Indian Wars

IV. Proprietor of Louisiane TreatiesCrozatJohn Law

Soon after Christopher Columbus landed in the Bahamas Spanish conquistadors found gold in Mexico. Soon other European nations sent explorers to the “New World” in hopes of finding riches.

Hernando De Soto and 600 men landed in Florida looking for gold in 1541.De Soto discovered the Mississippi RiverTreated natives brutallyDied of fever and men made boats and floated

to MexicoLess than half of the 600 survived.

Early Exploration

By the late 1600s, Spain, England and France established colonies in North America.

Sieur de La Salle (1682) believed the French should establish a colony at the mouth of the Mississippi River. This would help France control much of N. America and it would prevent enemies from traveling up river to Canada. He also believed Gulf Coast was perfect to set up the fur trade.With permission from King Louis La Salle left Canada

and went down river.Reached the mouth and declared that the French

owned all the land drained by the Mississippi River. Named it Louisiane which means “Louis’s Land”

Early Exploration

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/LouisianeFran%C3%A7aise01.png

La Salle went back to France to gather supplies, ships and people. His second expedition was a disaster.Sailed too far west and landed in Texas.Ship sank during a stormSet up Fort Louis (present day Texas ~ 1865)After two years he and his crew tried to walk

along the coast to Canada. His men murdered him.

Early Exploration

Location of Fort Saint Louis

La Salle

French Minister of Marine, Louis de Pontchartrain, sent Sieur de Iberville (1699) to set up a colony on the Mississippi River before the English.First anchored at Ship Island and met Biloxi

IndiansFrom there they set out with 49 men to find the

M.R.With the help of natives they found the river

and went up stream to the Red River.Found an area he called “Baton Rouge” (Red

Stick)Named Lake Ponchartrain and Maurepas and

the Isle of Orleans

Iberville

Fort Maurepas was built on Biloxi Bay (Present day Ocean Springs, MS. ~ Capital of Louisiana - 1720)

English TurnBienville, younger brother was exploring

mouth of M.R. and found BritishLied and told them they already had

established a fort.Fort de la BoulayeFort Louis de la MobileDauphin Island.

Iberville

Location of Fort Maurepas

200 colonists accompanied Iberville to LA 82 were counted a year later

Included soldiers, sailors, explorers, voyageurs and 13 Caribbean pirates.

Iberville returns to France a third time, due to war he became captain of a fleet. This left Bienville,22, governor of the colony.

Iberville

First problem Bienville faced was lack of European women at the colony.

Coreurs de Bois “runners of the woods”Bienville worried: Thought they were losing

their soulsWorried about their loyaltyWanted them to settle down and become

farmersPelican Girls were sent by the Bishop of

QuebecPopulation rose to 195

Bienville Takes Charge

Bienville

Economics in Louisiane

Mercantilism: economy base on raw materialsClosed systemAll materials sent back to France then made into

finished products and sold back to colonistMany found it more profitable to illegally trade

with the Spanish.Louisiane depended on the fur trade

DeerskinsWasn’t very profitable

Lack of knowledge contributed to poor farming by the colonist.Colonies relied on the help from natives who

taught settlers how to farm.

French GovernmentLouisiane Colony had two officials:

Governor: Leader of colonyCommissary: in charge of warehouse, trade

and suppliesBienville was convicted of corruption. He was

ordered back to France, however the new governor died and Bienville was reappointed.

Proprietor of Louisiane

King Louis XIV grew tired of sinking money into the colony. However, he did not want England to take control of the Mississippi River.

(France and England were bitter enemies) He began looking for a proprietor.

someone to take economic control of the colony

Antoine CrozatThe first charter(contract) went to Antoine

Crozat.15 year monopoly on the colonyControlled all untitled landCrozat will keep all profits, appoint officials

and remain exempt from tariffs.Give the king a fifth of all profits ( royal fifth )Govern by French Law

CrozatAntoine Cadillac was appointed govenor.

Corrupt and liked to wear formal clothing even in wilderness.

Created Superior Council Hired St. Denis to start settlement at

Natchitoches ~ 1714 (oldest permanent settlement in La) First Natchez War

Natchez murdered four French tradersFort Rosalie

John LawWealthy Scottish who lost all his money

gambling.After killing a man in a duel, fled to France.Had powerful French friends and was offered

the charter to Louisiane, Company of the West.

Reinstated Bienville as governor.25 monopoly of LA and Canada, however he

had to send at least 6,000 French and 3,000 slaves in first 10 years.

Law and Population GrowthPropaganda, advertisements about how great

LA wasConcessions to wealthy (land grants)Redemptioner, had to work three years to

repay his tripSent criminals and misbehaving kids.Mississippi Bandits (hired gang / “thugs” to

roam streets of Paris to seize the homeless, drunks, and street people)

(population ~ 8,000)

LawNew settlement started at New Orleans.

Named after Duke of OrleansNew capitalVieux Carre

Company of the IndiesMississippi Bubble

The Code NoirLaws adopted by the Superior CouncilMarriageFreedomCrueltySlave RightsEqual Rights for Freed Slaves (les gens de

couleur libres)Slave CultureReligion

All baptized Only CatholicAnti-Semite attitude

The End of French LouisianePerier became governor during the Second

Natchez war.Fort Rosalie MassacreGreat Sun and surviors shipped to St.

DominqueSt. Jean Baptiste ( Natchitoches ) Ended Laws Proprietorship10 percent of Louisianes population lost

The End of French LouisianeBienville restored as governor.English encouraged Chickasaw to attack

FrenchCould not defeat ChickasawEnlisted slaves and promised freedom

Chickasaw gave upBienville gives up and never returns to LANew governor, Vaudreuil, defeats Chickasaw

and introduces Mardi GrasKerlerec was governor during the French

and Indian War

The End of French LouisianeThe Treaty of Fountainebleu

France realized they were going to lose New France

Secret treaty in which Spain gains the Louisiana Territory.

The Treaty of ParisEnds French and Indian WarEngland gained Canada and all of Louisiana

east of the M.R. except the Isle of Orleans.Spain gains New Orleans and all land west of

the M.R.

Treaty of Paris ~ Map