The French Come to Louisiane
The French wanted to expand their trading area in the New World by finding a river that would take them to China or to
the Indies. They talked of the Northwest Passage, that mysterious water route through the North American continent.
In 1673, French fur trader Louis Joliet and Jesuit priest Father Marquetteset out from Quebec to explore a great river that
the Native Americans described.
They thought the river might lead them across North America to Asia. In birchbark Indian canoes, the expedition paddled
and floated down that river —the Mississippi. Indian food such as corn and dried buffalo meat nourished them on the trip.
The group made it as far down the Mississippi as the mouth of the Arkansas River. At a Quapaw Indian village, they
learned that traveling further could be dangerous. The powerful tribes downriver could defend themselves with Spanish
guns. Was there a Spanish fort somewhere to the south? Unwilling to risk an encounter with armed Indians or Spanish
soldiers, the French exploring party returned north.
Exploring the Mississippi
René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle had long dreamed of finding a water route to China. The other Canadian traders
laughed at him by calling his Canadian trading post LaChine (“China”). But La Salle’s goal and his hopes took him
through years of delays until he was finally able to begin his journey.
His trip was made easier by his choice for his assistant, Henri de Tonti (TONE teh). A colorful character known for his
bravery and courage, Tonti had lost a hand in battle. According to legend, he amputated the damaged arm himself. This
story and his brave deeds earned him the respect of the Indians, who named him “Iron Hand.”
La Salle set out from Canada with Tonti, soldiers, priests, and Indians with their families. They entered the upper
Mississippi River in early February 1682. On April 9, they reached the mouth of the river. There, in a solemn and formal
ceremony, La Salle claimed all the land drained by the Mississippi River for Louis XIV. He honored the French king by
naming the land Louisiana, which means “Land of Louis.” La Salle dressed in his ceremonial red coat trimmed with gold
lace, which he had brought for the important event.
As part of the ceremony, a Catholic priest celebrated a mass with prayers and songs in Latin. Those words rang out from
the natural levee in what is today Plaquemines Parish. The priest was with the group because one purpose of the trip was
to spread the official religion of France.
Today the location is marked with a monument topped with a large wooden cross. The monument represents the large log
cross La Salle placed on the spot. A brass plaque inscribed in French tells the story of La Salle and the Mississippi River.
Eager to continue his important mission, La Salle returned to France to report his discovery to King Louis XIV. The king
rewarded him with a small fleet of ships and three hundred colonists and directed him to establish a new colony. (A
colony is a group of people who settle in a distant land but who still keep their ties to their native land.)
La Salle’s return trip was a failure. After sailing into the Gulf of Mexico, La Salle missed the mouth of the Mississippi
River and ended up at Matagorda Bay in present-day Texas. The colonists were frightened and frustrated. Many had died
at sea, and more died on the barren beach. La Salle then set out to lead the remaining colonists overland to Canada. The
journey ended horribly when the men mutinied and murdered La Salle. La Salle’s dreams had ended in a nightmare of
disaster.
The French Colony
La Salle did not establish a colony on the Gulf Coast. But his claim in the name of France set off a chain of events that led
to the first French colony. When the other European kings heard that France had claimed the Mississippi, they reacted
strongly. France’s claim was a threat to the New World colonies of Spain and Great Britain. The Spanish government
built a fort on the Gulf of Mexico at Pensacola Bay to protect its claims. The British hoped to build a colony at the mouth
of the Mississippi River.
When Louis XIV heard of these plans, he knew a French fort must be built to guard the Mississippi. A strong military
leader with knowledge of North America was needed. The wilderness experience of French Canadian officers prepared
them for this challenge. The king chose one of those commanders—Pierre Le Moyne, Sieur d’Iberville.
To join him, Iberville chose his younger brother, Jean Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville. Although only eighteen,
Bienville was an experienced and battle-scarred sailor. The two brothers would leave their names on the map and the
history of Louisiana.
Fort Maurepas
Iberville stopped for supplies at a French colony in the West Indies and then set sail for the Gulf of Mexico. Spanish
soldiers had finished their fort at Pensacola Bay just months before the French arrived. When Iberville sailed into the Gulf
of Mexico, he realized the Spanish held the best harbor near the Mississippi River.
Continuing westward, Iberville came upon islands near the coast of present day Mississippi. He named one Ship Island
because it provided a good harbor for their ships. They built a few primitive huts for a temporary camp; then they set out
to find the mouth of the Mississippi. Iberville described the discovery in his journal: “March 3, Mardi Gras Day . . . I went
up this river . . . two leagues and a half above the mouth it forks into three branches.”
To make sure that this was the Mississippi, Iberville and Bienville questioned the local Indians. One chief told them of the
“speaking bark” left by another Frenchman. Bienville offered a reward of an axe for the message. Soon, another chief
brought him a letter Tonti had left for La Salle in 1685. La Salle never saw that letter because he never made it back to the
Mississippi. But more than thirteen years later, the unclaimed letter spoke an encouraging message to the French
explorers. They knew they had found the great Mississippi River.
The mouth of the river was a poor location for Iberville’s fort. The Gulf Coast offered a better harbor for ships and
seemed to have better land for a colony.
There were plenty of trees on the coast to build the fort. The completed fort, built near present-day Biloxi in Mississippi,
was named Fort Maurepas (MOR eh PAH) to honor a French government official.
A Struggling Colony
When the fort was finished, Iberville returned to France for more supplies, soldiers, and settlers. While he was gone, the
little fort suffered from a food shortage and lack of supplies. The men were also afraid of an attack by the Chickasaw, who
were allies of the British. The British colonies that had been established along the Atlantic coast threatened French efforts
to claim and control the Mississippi River Valley.
While Iberville was in France, Bienville explored the river. On one trip, he met a twelve-gun British vessel coming up the
river toward his much smaller boat. Claiming that he had many more troops in the area, Bienville informed the British
captain that he controlled the river. He hinted that he would attack if the British did not leave peacefully. The British
captain believed Bienville’s bluff, turned around, and sailed away. Bienville’s action drove the British away and protected
French claims on the Mississippi River. English Turn, south of New Orleans, is still marked on today’s maps.
The local Indians were also a challenge to the French. In the beginning, the Indians shared their food and skills with the
strangers. A young ship’s carpenter later wrote about the music and dancing the two cultures shared. A young soldier had
brought along a special possession, his violin.
With his music, the soldiers taught the Indians to “figure dance.” In return, the Indians invited the soldiers to learn their
dances. Later, when the soldiers were starving, they were invited to live with the Indians. In spite of this acceptance, the
French treated the Indians as conquered people. They took Indians as slaves and started conflicts between
tribes. The French believed that if the Indian tribes fought each other, they would not join together against the French.
Other Forts
The incident at English Turn convinced Iberville that the French needed a fort on the Mississippi River. He chose a spot
fifty-four miles above the mouth of the river to build Fort Mississippi. Iberville placed his brother Bienville in charge of
the fort.
Fort Maurepas, the French headquarters, also needed to be moved. The first site for Fort Maurepas had flooded, and the
sandy soil was useless for growing crops. Problems often developed with the first sites selected, and the forts were
relocated several times during these early years.
The new fort, Fort Louis, was located to keep the English out of Mobile Bay. The fort later became the city of Mobile,
Alabama. Henri de Tonti, who had returned to Louisiana to help with the new colony, commanded Fort Louis until his
death from yellow fever in 1704.
Leadership
After setting up the new fort at Mobile, Iberville went back to France again. While he was there, a war broke out in
Europe and Iberville was required to return to military duty. This war had the full attention of the French government, and
Iberville’s request for colonists and supplies for Louisiana was ignored.
The war created hard times in France and an even more dismal life in the Louisiana colony. French supply ships sailed to
places involved in the war effort. Abandoned, the colony was left without proper defense or adequate supplies at a time
when it was still very shaky.
Iberville never did return to the colony. In 1702, he left Europe for Louisiana but died in Havana from yellow fever. In
1701, young Bienville became the leader of the colony. The colony was so weak that Bienville had to obtain food from
the French colony in the West Indies and even from the Spanish at Pensacola.
These two leaders of early Louisiana faced criticism. After Iberville’s death, he was investigated for making money for
himself from war supplies. Dissatisfied officials and priests passed along complaints against Bienville to France. Other
colonists supported Bienville and blamed the problems on those who opposed him.
The colonial officials quarreled throughout the French period. The confusing structure of the government caused many of
those conflicts. Two officials shared the authority over the colony. The governor was in charge of the military and the
general management of the colony. The business manager, called the commissary commissioner, was in charge of the
budget and parts of the judicial system. These two officials were expected to check on each other and report any problems
to France.
After the costly war in Europe ended, the French king and his government could not afford to maintain Louisiana. But
France still needed the colony as a buffer against the British. The British colonies were pushing further and further inland
to trade with the Native Americans. France needed to find a new way to fund the colony. King Louis XIV decided to
allow a businessman to run the colony. He established a proprietorship and gave an individual a charter (contract) to
operate the colony as a business.
The proprietor was given almost total control and, in return, had to meet certain requirements. The proprietor had to send
supplies and settlers to the colony regularly, and the colonial government had to follow French law.
Antoine Crozat
In 1712, the French royal government gave the proprietorship of Louisiana to Antoine Crozat (KRO zah). This
businessman had loaned money to the king from his vast fortune. To make more money, Crozat expected to find gold and
silver in the colony. He had little interest in settlers and agriculture; his primary motive was profit.
After Crozat signed the contract to operate the colony as a business, he selected a new governor. He chose an experienced
colonial governor, Antoine de Lamothe, Sieur de Cadillac. Cadillac had set up a trading post that later became
Detroit, Michigan. Despite that success, Cadillac had difficulties as a leader and soon made mistakes. His troubles began
when he visited Indian villages along the river and refused to smoke the calumet. (The calumet was the ceremonial pipe
used by the tribal leaders.) Cadillac’s refusal was more than an insult to his hosts; it was like a threat of war. He also faced
the ongoing conflicts among government officials.
Despite these complaints, Cadillac deserves credit for organizing the colony. He established the Superior Council to help
govern the colony. The Superior Council was in charge of judicial matters and was presided over by the commissary
commissioner.
Some of Cadillac’s ideas, such as taming buffalo to clip the wool, were completely impractical and must have amused the
Indians. But he was the first official to suggest that indigo and tobacco should be grown to sell. He also understood that
good colonists were needed, and he tried to convince Crozat to send more people to Louisiana.
Natchitoches
One of Cadillac’s best decisions was to select Louis Juchereau de St. Denis to command a fort at Natchitoches. St. Denis
had learned about this area when he explored along the Red River. He had met the Caddo Indians and improved his
knowledge of the Indian languages. His frontier skills built his career and reputation. Born in Canada and educated in
Paris, St. Denis knew both worlds.
The French built Fort St. Jean Baptiste (present-day Natchitoches) on the banks of the Red River in 1714. They planned to
build trade with the nearby Spanish even though this was illegal. The French believed that the isolated forts in Spanish
Texas would be willing to overlook those laws. To seek this trade, St. Denis headed south into the Spanish colony. At the
fort in what is now Eagle Pass, Texas, he was detained but considered a guest. While he was there, he fell in love with the
granddaughter of the Spanish commandant.
Before the two could marry, the commandant sent St. Denis to Mexico City. The viceroy (the highest-ranking Spanish
official) told St. Denis that trade between the Spanish colonies and French Louisiana would not be allowed. But rather
than jailing him as a smuggler, the viceroy asked St. Denis to escort a Spanish priest and soldiers to Nacogdoches, Texas.
The Spanish wanted to reopen an old mission and fort there. When St. Denis returned to Texas, however, the new Spanish
viceroy did not welcome him. He was jailed and then sent away with a warning to stay out of Spanish territory. now had a
Spanish wife. This contraband (illegal) trade was important to the border forts. French traders brought in pack trains with
guns, ammunition, powder, knives, mirrors, and brandy to exchange for horses, cattle, animal hides, and silver. The
Spanish wanted the French goods, especially medicine; the French wanted the Spanish silver.
Crozat’s Failure
The Louisiana colony continued to struggle. When Louis XIV died in 1715, government support for the colony died too.
The French colonists were not interested in farming. Trade with the Spanish was possible only through smuggling. Trade
with the Indians was a failure. British traders paid more for furs and sold European goods to
the Indians cheaper.
As a businessman, Crozat failed to make a profit from the colony. He never sent supplies in the amounts required by his
contract. He considered any money he spent on the colony as an expense, not as an investment for future profits. He
wanted gold and silver, but they did not exist. After holding the colony for five years, Crozat gave it up.
The Company of the West
The next proprietor of the colony was not one person but a group of investors. The head of this group—John Law—had
organized the Bank of France and developed the paper money system for France. Law was considered to be an brilliant
banker. But he was also a gambler and a risk-taker. In 1717, Law created the Company of the West to operate the
Louisiana colony. Law sold shares of ownership in the Company to investors. He planned to make money for the
investors and for the French government. Later, the Company of the West was combined with other trading companies
and became the Company of the Indies.
Law promised his investors a huge profit from the Louisiana colony. The chance to make money convinced more and
more people to buy shares in the Company. The value of the Company began to rise. At one point, the price of a share
increased from 500 to 18,000 livres (the French unit of money).
Meanwhile Law made plans for the colony. Bienville returned as governor. He had long wanted to build a trading center
for the Mississippi Valley. Now, with support from the Company, he could begin his project.
He chose a site on a crescent (bend) of the Mississippi River bordered by Lake Pontchartrain. In 1718, Bienville designed
and laid out the settlement that became the city of New Orleans. When he and his men arrived at the location, they had to
chop their way through river cane as large as their legs while watching carefully for the alligators they heard roaring
nearby!
This swampy wilderness, however, could not become a town without more people. All of the directors of the Company
received large land grants. In return for the parcels of land, the directors were required to bring settlers to live on the
land.
The plan seemed practical, but who would go to this faraway wilderness? The French peasants (poor, small farmers) did
not want to go because life in Louisiana did not sound any better than their lives in France. The stories from Louisiana had
been confusing during those early years. Angry fathers had threatened to send their misbehaving sons to the colony. Was
it an untamed paradise or a cruel punishment?
A Search for Colonists
To change the image of Louisiana, Law used some of the earliest real estate advertising in history. When the French did
not respond, he targeted people who lived in a place where war made life difficult.
In the area that would later become Germany, small kingdoms fought for power. The people who lived there struggled to
survive and dreamed of a better life. They read about a Louisiana paradise in handbills printed in their own language. The
words of John Law along with their hopeless situation convinced them to take the risk.
These German farm families settled on land above New Orleans. The French called this settlement Cote Des Allemandes,
the German Coast. These experienced, hard-working farmers cleared the land and planted gardens. They saved the colony
by growing enough food to keep the people from starving. Once, when the German farmers brought garden produce to
New Orleans, people fought over the food. Soldiers had to be called in to keep order. Even more settlers were needed.
Unfortunately, the next effort did not bring farmers like the Germans. When no volunteers could be found, prisoners were
sent to the colony instead of to jail. At first, the prisoners were non-dangerous criminals such as debtors and smugglers.
But before long, the new arrivals included more dangerous criminals, who were unwilling or unable to work.
People in France grew concerned when vagrants (homeless people) were shipped to the colony. The Company paid a
“finder’s fee” for locating possible colonists; soon, citizens with jobs and families were kidnapped to collect the fee.
Finally, the French government stopped this practice. But the colony continued to have other problems.
Colonists complained that the Company never sent enough flour, fabric, wine, brandy, shirts, or shoes. When goods were
available, they cost four times as much as they had in France. And when flour did arrive, it was usually bug infested.
The lack of flour was a major problem. Wheat would not grow in the warm climate, and the French did not consider corn
a proper food. They especially hated corn bread, because they had always eaten wheat bread. Sometimes wheat was sent
down the river from the Illinois country, and the colonists were able to bake “proper” bread.
The Collapse of the Mississippi Bubble
Even as the colony struggled with these shortages and hardships, Law was promising that huge profits were just around
the corner. People in France kept investing because they wanted to make money. The Company expanded, and the price
of the stock rose—until the bubble burst in 1721.
The investors began to suspect that their stock was worthless and demanded their money. The Company collapsed
because it could not pay back the investors.
This crash was called the Mississippi Bubble because the price of shares kept increasing like an inflating balloon until it
burst and collapsed. When the scheme crashed, so did the world of John Law. The powerful man who had once advised
the king of France had to flee Paris in disgrace.
The Company of the Indies was given a new agreement and remained in charge of the colony. The colony needed money
to stay alive, and the king still did not want the expense. Bienville continued as governor because of his experience in
dealing with the problems. Louisiana needed an adequate army, more dependable settlers, and a good export crop.
The Code Noir
Slavery began in Louisiana in the early colonial days as a way to provide workers for the colony. A slave is a person who
is bound to a life of service to others and who is considered property. Shiploads of slaves were first brought to the colony
in 1716. The numbers continued to increase during the proprietorship of the Company. The slaves came from West
Africa, where their cultures had long harvested rice and indigo. The Africans’ ability to grow rice added another staple
food to the diet of the colony. Their knowledge and experience produced indigo and tobacco as Louisiana’s first cash
crops.
The colony also had vast areas of land that could be planted once they were cleared. The plantations (large estates or
farms) grew one major crop for profit. Labor was needed to clear the land and produce those crops. At that time, slavery
was an accepted way to obtain the large numbers of workers needed for the plantation system.
The slaves had also been essential in building New Orleans. Not only did they provide strong labor, but many were skilled
at carpentry and metalwork. From the early years, it was apparent the colony would not succeed without slave labor.
With the increasing number of slaves, legal regulations were needed. Bienville established the Code Noir, a set of laws
governing the conduct and treatment of slaves. The laws, established in 1724, were patterned after laws in other French
colonies. Their purpose was to protect slaves as property.
Rules were established for food, clothing, and health care. Sick and elderly slaves must be cared for. Slaves could not be
forced to work on Sundays and were to be taught the Catholic religion. The laws also established many restrictions on the
slaves. They were not allowed to carry weapons unless they were hunting, and they could not gather in crowds. The laws
set harsh penalties for runaway slaves.
A New Governor
During these years, Bienville faced constant complaints. Because he was governor, the settlers blamed him when things
went wrong. The Company and the king blamed him because the colony was not profitable. Finally, he was ordered back
to France to explain his decisions about the colony.
The Company chose one of its own dependable employees as the next governor— Etienne de Perier. This new governor
was sent to bring harmony to the colony. While he knew little about the Louisiana colony, Perier was well respected in the
French navy. His sense of fairness helped him deal with the problems, even without any colonial experience.
The new governor wanted to find new settlers and more raw materials for export. He saw the forests of Louisiana as a
source of resin, tar, and wood for barrels and ships’ masts, which were needed in France. Perier also wanted to improve
trade with the successful French colonies of the West Indies and asked the French government to help.
However, an incident that took place while Perier was governor eventually led to the end of the proprietorship.
The Natchez Uprising
In 1716, Bienville had built Fort Rosalie at the site of present-day Natchez on land belonging to the Natchez Indians.
Early French visitors had described this tribe as the most civilized. The Natchez permitted the French fort in their
homelands and were helpful to the colonists. A tobacco plantation had grown up around the fort. A crisis arose when the
fort’s commander wanted the good land where a Natchez sacred village stood. He demanded that the Natchez move
immediately.
Deciding the French would never stop intruding on their land and lifestyle, the Natchez attacked Fort Rosalie without
warning. Native American historians call this event the Natchez uprising. Over 250 colonists were killed. The French
considered this a massacre, because it was so different from their idea of warfare.
Governor Perier sent soldiers to destroy the Natchez as a tribe. Even so, the colonists blamed him for the massacre. They
thought he should have responded when the commander first angered the Natchez. In addition, the French lost some of
their best farms because few settlers wanted to stay in the area.
This loss of the tobacco plantations and so many colonists was too much for the Company. The colony had never made
any money for the Company, and the French government had never paid its share of the costs. By 1731, the Company
handed the colony back to the king. In 1732, Louisiana once more became a royal colony.
France would hold on to the colony for another thirty troublesome years.
Bienville Returns
When the king took control, Bienville was once again appointed governor of Louisiana. Many colonists were glad to see
him return because of his experience with the Indians. The Natchez uprising had created fear of and resentment toward the
Indians. Bienville’s first task was to calm the settlers and restore his ties with the Indians. He also faced other challenges.
A thriving agriculture was important for success. But a shortage of livestock—farm animals such as horses, cows, pigs,
chickens, and oxen—created hardships for everyone. The cows, pigs, and chickens provided much-needed food. The oxen
and horses were needed for farm work, pulling the plows and carts. But what use was a team of oxen if the colonist had no
plow? Even when good tools came from
France, the prices were often too high for the people to buy them. Another serious problem was the inadequate supply of
money. This kept the economy from developing much beyond the barter system. The colonists had not yet developed a
stable cash crop, although some tobacco and indigo were being grown. The colonists continued to try to export forest
products.
But there were few ships available to transport goods, and those that were available charged high shipping rates.
As a result, the colonists usually had to rely on barter and warehouse credit.
When goods were not available in the warehouse, the colonists were given credit to use when another shipment came
from France. Bienville struggled to ease the difficulties in the colony. He rationed the food supplies when necessary and
pleaded with France for more supplies and soldiers.
War with the Chickasaw
The biggest problem Bienville faced was keeping peace between the colonists and the Indians. Even before the Europeans
came, relations between the tribes were not always peaceful. Some of the hostilities were long-standing; others were more
recent. Both the French and the British used these conflicts to pit one tribe against another for their own benefit. Each
group struggled over the land and trade rights.
The European traders had changed the Indians’ way of life. The older chiefs saw the danger of European trade goods.
Tattooed Serpent, a chief of the Natchez, remarked, “Before the arrival of the French, we lived like men who could be
satisfied with what they have . . . now we are like slaves who are not allowed to do as they please.”
The Choctaw generally preferred the French, although British trade goods were of better quality and were delivered more
dependably. The Choctaw chiefs sometimes played one colony against another for the benefit of their people.
However, the Choctaw ties with the French had been weakened by Governor Perier. He had insisted on the right to select
chiefs, awarding them medals as he tried to gain allies. These “medal chiefs” were not always the tribal leaders and had no
real power. By dealing only with the chiefs he selected, Governor Perier had disrupted the tribal ways.
Another large tribe, the Chickasaw, occupied the important heart of the Mississippi Valley. They were trading partners
and allies with the British and enemies of the French and the Choctaw. The French became alarmed when the
Chickasaw appeared to be making peace with their former enemies, the Choctaw. If the Choctaw became trading partners
with the British, France’s colony would be threatened.
When Bienville returned as governor, he was ordered to defeat the Chickasaw or sign a peace treaty. He demanded respect
from the Indians, using tactics that had been successful in earlier conflicts.
The Chickasaw had given refuge to some of the Natchez, and Bienville demanded that they be turned over to the French.
When the Chickasaw refused, a war began that dragged on for several years. The British supplied the Chickasaw with
weapons, and the French paid the Choctaw for Chickasaw scalps. After several defeats, Bienville believed the Chickasaw
War was a failure.
Discouraged, he retired as governor in 1742. Bienville had lost the war, many friends, and his confidence.
A Different Kind of Governor
In 1742, the French government sent Pierre Francois de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil to Louisiana as the next governor.
Louisiana offered this new governor the opportunity to prove his leadership. He hoped to become governor of Canada, as
his father had been. His kindness and dignity calmed some of the internal conflicts in the colony.
Cooperation among the colonists was important because Indian conflicts continued. The new governor used his troops to
halt Indian raids on settlements up and down the Mississippi River. After a major assault on the Chickasaw, Vaudreuil
worked out a peace agreement.
With the Indian threat reduced, the colony grew more prosperous, and living conditions improved in New Orleans. As
governor, Vaudreuil established formal ceremonies and parties that copied the social life of the French palace of
Versailles. His wife traveled the muddy streets of New Orleans in a four-horse carriage. He is even credited with having
the first Louisiana Mardi Gras ball. As a compliment to his style, he was called “The Grand Marquis.” His reception
welcoming the next governor included fountains of wine and a fireworks show.
The Last French Years
In 1752, Vaudreuil achieved his dream of becoming governor of Canada. Louis Billouart, Chevalier de Kerlerec (KAIR la
rek) was appointed governor of the colony because of his strong military reputation. Those skills were needed to protect
Louisiana from the British. When Kerlerec took office, the tensions between the French and the British were increasing,
and the stage for the French and Indian War was being set. The colony’s defenses had to be strengthened.
Unfortunately, like other governors before him, Kerlerec got caught up in squabbles with the other government official in
the colony, the commissary commissioner. Kerlerec was a blunt military man who found these arguments petty and
annoying. The constant friction and the complaints sent to France interfered with the new governor’s efforts and slowed
the colony’s progress. It must have frustrated this military commander to be required to share control of the colony. He
quickly tired of his post and requested permission to leave. However, he remained as governor until 1762, when the
colony was given to Spain.
Life in the Colony
Life in French colonial Louisiana began as a struggle in a wilderness. But even in this challenging environment, people
began to adapt their lifestyle to fit their location. The people faced daily hardships but also added some of the elements of
culture that helped improve their lives.
The People
Many of the early explorers and promoters were hardy French Canadians. The free-spirited woodsmen or coureur-de-bois
(“woods runner” in French) came and went from the colony, preferring their independent lifestyle to settling down in the
colony.
The early French colonists lacked the skills and drive needed to survive in the harsh environment. Many were more
interested in looking for gold and silver than in making a home and life for themselves in the New World. It took the
hardy German farmers to save the colony. And it was the labor of the African slaves that led to the colony’s economic
growth.
Even the soldiers were considered the rejects of the army by their own leaders. On the other hand, their pay was low, and
they often did not have enough food or clothing.
Women were scarce in the colony, and their absence made the colony more unstable. At various times during the French
colonial period, young women were sent to the colony. In 1712, Madame Cadillac chaperoned a group of girls sent to
Louisiana to become brides of the settlers.
After 1727, the Ursuline nuns cared for new arrivals at their convent in New Orleans until they were married. The best
known of this group were the casket girls who came in 1728. The young women received that title because each girl
brought her trousseau, or household goods, in a casket, or barrel-like chest.
Some of the other women who came from France brought nothing but a bad reputation. These were women from the
streets of Paris, who were shipped to the colony to get them out of France.
Religion
The official religion of France, and the Louisiana colony, was Roman Catholic. The church was supported by the
government. The church and the French government provided nuns and priests for the colony. Some of the early priests
lived among the Indians as missionaries. The nuns and priests established the only schools.
Mardi Gras and other church holidays were celebrated from the early days of the colony. The priests and nuns thought the
people focused more on the celebration than the religious ceremony. They reported that the people were not very devout
and did not attend church regularly.
Lifestyles
The population of Louisiana was between 6,000 and 7,000 when France gave up the colony. The people lived in New
Orleans and along the Mississippi above the town. Settlements also had been established in Pointe Coupee and
Natchitoches.
Entertainment in New Orleans included card playing and gambling in taverns and coffee houses. Dances were held
regularly. The people attended social events, even though it meant walking through muddy streets in their elegant
clothing.
The colony included a few elegant homes with high ceilings and glass window panes. They were furnished with fine
upholstered furniture, gold mirrors, and silver tableware.
Only a few people in the colony lived this well. Most colonists lived in houses made of logs or brick between posts. A
mixture of mud and moss or deer hair was used to fill in the cracks. The French name for this mixture is bousillage.
The windows had shutters but no glass. These houses had simple furniture, sometimes made by the homeowner. Instead of
silver, the eating utensils were pewter.
Most people wore clothing made from imported cloth. Only the wealthy wore the elegant clothing imported from France.
No one made their own cloth until after the Acadian women came.
The people knew almost nothing about the diseases that threatened their lives, and the treatment was sometimes as bad as
the illness. Yellow fever, smallpox, and other diseases killed many of the colonists. A sailor, Jean Louis, left money in his
will to provide a hospital for New Orleans. This is the beginning of Louisiana’s charity hospitals.
Success or Failure
Was the French colony of Louisiana a success or a failure? Did the colony do as well as it could have under the
regulations of France? Did the hurricanes, mosquitoes, heat, and humidity overwhelm the colonists? Or, as so many
historians have suggested, were the first colonists such a poor choice that they must be held responsible for the
weaknesses of the colony? Did the leaders ofthe colony seek to benefit the colony or did too many of them try to make
profits for themselves?
Finding the right people for the colony was not the only challenge. The French colonial government suffered greatly from
decisions made in France. These included trade restrictions and the lack of adequate funding and supplies.
Every policy decision about Louisiana was made by those who had never seen the colony. No policy makers—Louis XIV,
the royal advisors, Antoine Crozat, or John Law—ever ventured across the Atlantic to see the vast land they called
Louisiana.
Individual Newspaper project
Directions: You are to complete a “copy” of the first Louisiane newspaper “the Moniteur de la
Louisiane” on a sheet of 14x28 POSTER-BOARD which will be furnished, using BLACK INK, PENCIL
COLORS, and the material given (photos and copy of chapter).
1. Using pictures given or drawn, create a newspaper from the French era
2. Include written summaries (1-2 paragraphs) of key events during the era. The events do not
have to deal with the one topic.
3. Include political comics or draw comics of your own dealing with this time period
4. Include quotes, warnings, or other activities that would have occurred during this time period
5. Create a proper newspaper heading and create a name for your newspaper, example the
Moniteur de la Louisiane.
6. You may use construction paper, poster board, pencils, pencil colors, PLUS it must be finished
in BLACK INK.
4 Pts
3 Pts
2 Pts
1 Pt
0 Pt
Writing and
Organization
Each section in the
newspaper has a clear
beginning, middle, and
end.
Almost all sections of
the newspaper have a
clear beginning, middle
and end.
Most sections of the
newspaper have a clear
beginning, middle and
end.
The newspaper has no
clear beginning, middle
or end.
Writing and
Mechanics
Capitalization and
punctuation are correct
throughout the
newspaper.
All facts in the
newspaper are accurate.
Capitalization and
punctuation is mostly
correct throughout the
newspaper.
99-90% of the facts in
the newspaper are
accurate.
The newspaper has
attractive formatting
and well-organized
information.
There are 2-4
capitalization and/or
punctuation errors in
the newspaper.
89-80% of the facts in
the newspaper are
accurate.
The newspaper has wellorganized information.
All articles have
headlines that
accurately describe the
content. All graphics
have captions. Paper is
missing some items.
Most articles have
headlines that
accurately describe the
content. Most graphics
have captions.
Less than half of the
sections of the
newspaper have a clear
beginning, middle and
end.
There are more than 5
capitalization or
punctuation errors in
the newspaper.
Fewer than 80% of the
facts in the newspaper
are accurate.
The newspaper’s
formatting and
organization of material
is confusing to the
reader.
Articles are missing
bylines OR many articles
do not have adequate
headlines OR many
graphics do not have
captions.
Content and
Accuracy
Attractiveness
and
Organization
The newspaper has
exceptionally attractive
formatting and wellorganized information.
Banner,
headline,
captions,
artwork
All articles have
headlines that capture
the reader's attention
and accurately describe
the content. Paper has a
banner, headlines,
captions and artwork.
Date assignment is issued: 00-00-00
There are many
capitalization or
punctuation errors in
the newspaper.
Less than 70% of the
facts in the newspaper
are accurate.
The newspaper’s
formatting and
organization of material
are very confusing to the
reader.
The paper is missing the
banner, articles are
missing headlines OR
many articles do not
have adequate
headlines OR many
graphics do not have
captions
Date assignment is due: 00-00-00