Spanish Government
Begins

 Louisiana Creoles didn’t learn of Louisiana’s transfer
to Spain until a year after it happened.
 Louisianans were loyal to France.
 Believed the change was a mistake.
Antonio de Ulloa

 France continued to run the colony even after Spain’s
ownership of it.
 Spain had little interest in Louisiana.
 Their first choice of governor did not help matters!
Antonio de Ulloa

 Ulloa was a world famous scientist, but was an
introvert.
 Not interested in the vibrant social scene in
Louisiana.
 Slipped into the colony with a few soldiers quietly.
 Started making mistakes immediately.
Antonio de Ulloa

 Decided to forgo a formal public
ceremony celebrating Louisiana’s
Spanish ownership. Big mistake!
 Moved into a home in Balize and
raised the Spanish flag there
instead of in New Orleans.
 French flag flew in New Orleans
for months after Ulloa arrived,
while the Spanish flag hung in
Belize.
 Eventually hung the Spanish flag
in New Orleans without a
ceremony.
French Government
Remains

 Spain warned Ulloa to move slowly and not make drastic
changes, so Ulloa allowed French government to stay.
 Charles Phillipe Aubry was replaced as governor but
remained the commander of the French soldiers.
 Ulloa ruled behind the scenes with Aubry as his
mouthpiece.
 Aubry was ordered by France to cooperate with the
Spanish.
 Ulloa also allowed the Superior Council to stay, causing
Louisianans to think that Ulloa was weak.
 The Superior Council thought that a public ceremony was
necessary to make the transfer legal.
Unrest in the Colony

Ulloa continues to make
mistakes!
 Ulloa married a mestizo (half Spanish, half
Indian)
 The Superior Council believed she was
part African due to her dark skin.
 Intermarriage was illegal, so Ulloa broke
the law.
 Ulloa tried to lower prices to fix inflation,
but French merchants hated being told
how much to sell their goods for.
 Merchants had to stop trading with
anyone outside the Spanish empire,
cutting off century old ties.
 Hatred grew to the point of rebellion.
The Creole Revolution

 On October 28, 1768, locals disabled cannons protecting New
Orleans, beginning the Creole Revolution.
 400 Creoles and German Coast residents stormed New Orleans.
 Ulloa was asked to leave so he went to Cuba to report the
incident.
 The Superior Council requested that the king of France take
Louisiana back, but there was never a reply.
The Spanish Return

 24 ships with 2000 soldiers
arrived in Louisiana led by Don
Alejandro O’Reilly, an Irishman
who served the Spanish king.
 Aubrey immediately gave
O’Reilly the city, and O’Reilly
wasted no time establishing
Spanish control over New
Orleans.
 Held a public ceremony and
used force
 O’Reilly set out to find the men
responsible for the Creole
Revolution.
Bloody O’Reilly

 13 men were arrested for treason
and twelve were found guilty.
 5 were killed by a firing squad and
6 were imprisoned. (one died before
the trials)
 The punished men were among the
wealthiest and most influential in
the city.
 O’Reilly was nicknamed “Bloody
O’Reilly” for his bold actions.
 Though disliked by the Creoles,
Spain’s authority was never
seriously challenged again
Charles Philippe Aubry

 Left in control of the colony during Ulloa’s
governorship.
 Only person with the authority and force to try and
convince the revolutionaries to disband.
 They refused, and he didn’t force the issue
 Considered a traitor for turning the leaders of the
revolt over to O’Reilly.
 Left the colony, but his ship sank in a storm.
New Laws

 The Spanish government was more efficient than the
French.
 Officials were trained for their job.
 Increased use of checks and balances.
 Reduced political corruption and made it more difficult to
engage in illegal activity
 King-appointed governors and officials.
Hierarchy of Colonial
Government

Governor (appointed by the King)
2 Lieutenant Governors (also appointed)
12 Districts (parishes) run by a Commandant
 Reported to higher officials
 Enforced parish laws
 Tried minor cases
The Indendant was the official in charge of economic
affairs.
The Cabildo

 The Cabildo replaced the Superior
Council.
 City Council presided over by the
governor.
 Members were either appointed or
purchased their positions.
 Each member had specific
responsibilities. (i.e. tax collection or
managing public works)
 Passed laws and advised the governor.
 Appeals could be made to the Cabildo.
 Creoles were appointed to the Cabildo
to satisfy relations with the French.
Cabildo referred to both the council and
the building that housed them.
Improved Legal System

Laws and Appeals
 Customs of Paris was
replaced with the O’Reilly
Code.
 Anyone convicted of a crime
has the right to an appeal.
Changes to the Code Noir
 Slaves now have 30 minute
lunch breaks and 2 hour
dinner breaks.
 Slave owners could free
slaves at will.
 Slaves could buy freedom
 Were allowed to work to
earn wages as long as it was
shared with the owner.
 Arbitrators settled disputes
between owners and slaves.
Improved Legal System

 Changes in the Code
caused the number of
freed slaves to increase.
 1000 free slaves in New
Orleans in a 25 year
period.
 Most were craftsmen or
artisans
 Many became wealthy
and respected.
 Free slaves had to carry
manumissions to prove
freedom.
French Culture Survives

Creoles began to
appreciate Spanish rule
 What O’Reilly Did:
 Established language
schools
 Helped the colony to be
more prosperous
 Set a precedent for
future governors
 What O’Reilly Allowed:
 Did not force Creoles to
accept Spanish language
or customs
 Allowed to maintain
French traditions as long
as there was no conflict
with Spanish law
Luis de Unzaga

 Served as governor for seven
years
 Calm and easygoing man
 Married a local woman
 Established the first public
school
 Worked to heal wounds created
by the Creole Revolution
Luis de Unzaga

 Unzaga’s primary goal was the
improvement of the economy.
 Although illegal, he allowed trade with
English vessels.
 Floating warehouses came down the
Mississippi River and trade necessary
goods with Spanish Louisiana.
 Action reduced smuggling and put
more money into the economy.
 New Orleans continued to be the center
of business and trade activity.
The American Revolution

 Though Unzaga allowed trade with
England, he didn’t like them and
secretly hoped the colonists would win
the war.
 Unzaga provided help to the
revolutionaries through Oliver
Pollock.
 Pollock convinced Unzaga to sell
gunpowder from the Spanish arsenal.
Oliver Pollock

 Pollock worked in New Orleans as a
merchant and was given free trade status
within the city because of his relationship
with O’Reilly.
 To help the colonists, Pollock sold flour
at half price.
 He directed the secret Spanish assistance
to the Continental Congress.
 Spanish guns, gunpowder, medicine, and
cloth went to help the western front.
Bernardo de Galvez

 Galvez’s strong military
background made him the ideal
replacement for Unzaga.
 Became governor of Louisiana at
age 28.
 Married to Unzaga’s sister-in-law.
 Very popular governor.
 Continued aid to the colonists
while Spain remained “neutral”.
 His part in the American
Revolution earned him a Spanish
royal title and a statue in the
United States capital.
The Willing Expedition

 American James Willing launched a military raid on
British West Florida.
 He attacked English plantations around Natchez and
Baton Rouge.
 Burned, looted, stole private property, and captured an
English warship.
 Transported goods to New Orleans to sell.
 Galvez put in a difficult position.
 Allowed some goods to be sold, but returned others.
 Demanded Willing leave the colony.
 Action did more harm than good.
 Turned West Florida settlers back to Mother England.
Officially Taking Sides

 Galvez’s first official action was against
English Fort Bute (Bayou Manchac) and
Fort New Richmond (Baton Rouge).
 Left New Orleans on August 27, 1779
 1500 man army included Spanish
soldiers, Creoles, black militiamen, and
Indians.
 By September 7, 1779, Galvez and his
men captured both forts.
 Captured 28 British officers and 550
troops while he only lost one man and
only two were wounded.
 The British had lost all forts along the
Mississippi in British West Florida.
Esteban Rodriguez Miro

 Served as acting governor
while Galvez fought the
English.
 Officially became governor on
May 10, 1788
 Very Intelligent
 Spoke 7 languages
 Married a local woman
 Encouraged inoculation against
smallpox
 Advocated crop diversification
 Worked to prevent U.S. settlers
from occupying Spanish
property
The Colony Grows

 The population increased dramatically under the Spanish.
 Colony protected gold and silver mines in Mexico
 Over 40 years, population grew from 7,500 to about 50,000.
 Land grants were a way the Spanish built the colony’s
population.
 Parcel of land promised to each family
 Like long-lots, parcels were short along waterways, but
were as deep as they chose to clear and cultivate
 Also provided tools, a rooster, two hens, two pigs, and
supplies for a year
The Islenos

 Islenos were people from
the Canary Islands
 Life was hard in the
islands
 Ruled by harsh noblemen
 Severe weather caused
repeated crop failure
 Settled mostly in the areas
of St. Bernard, Ascension,
and Plaquemines Parishes
 Made their livings fishing
and trapping
Settling Northeast
Louisiana

 Only a few French hunters and
their families lived in the area
when Miro became governor
 Complained that the English and
Indian allies were raiding the area.
 Don Juan Filhiol (a Frenchman
working under Miro) was sent
with special directives:
 Assemble scattered inhabitants
into civilized settlements
 Bar Americans, English, and other
undesirables from the region
 Promote harmony with Indians
 Filhiol established
the Post de Ouachita
and later became
commandant of the
area
 Built Fort Miro on
the site.
 Settlers were slowly
encouraged to the
area
Kaintocks and Growing
Tension on the River

 Americans frequently
traveled downriver for trade
purposes
 Most from Kentucky
 Called Kaintocks by the
Creoles
 Rough frontiersmen who
drank too much and caused
trouble in the area
 Miro closed river to
American trade
 Policy was inconsistent
The Spanish Conspiracy

 Miro unfortunately got mixed
up with General James
Wilkinson
 Ambitious and
untrustworthy
 Forced to resign from
American army
 Wilkinson denied loyalty to
the United States
 Tried to take Kentucky as part
of the Spanish Empire
 Tried to convince legislature
 Had Miro’s support
The Acadians
 Le Grande Derangement
Who were they?
 French speaking
Catholic colonists
 From French Canadian
province of Acadia
(modern-day Nova
Scotia)
 Not happy with English
Protestant acquisition
of province
 Acadians refused to
take loyalty oaths to
English king
 1755, the English
governor called a
meeting
 A waiting army forced
6,000 colonists aboard
ships and sent them all
over the world
Le Grand Derangement

 “The Great Upheaval” was a
traumatic event for the Acadians
 They lost homes, property and
livestock
 Some families were separated
 Boats traveled to France, the
Caribbean, and American
Colonies
 Couldn’t find refuge- they were
unwanted
 Poor, uneducated farmers and
trappers
 Considered competition for the
few jobs available
The Acadians

Finding a Home
Acadians and Cajuns
 Spain was trying to
populate the colony
 Acadians would fit in with
French culture that existed
 Spain offered to pay their
way to settle in Louisiana
 As many as 10,000
Acadians settled between
1769-1785
 The word Acadian
eventually changed to
Cajun
 Only people descended
from the French
Acadians are true Cajuns
 Groups from other
French descendants are
not true Acadians
“Evangeline”

 Longfellow heard of an Acadian couple separated
on their wedding day by Le Grand Derangement
 Tirelessly researched the plight of the Acadians to
compose his epic poem
 Tells the tale of Evageline and her fiance, Gabriel
 A 20th century writer claimed that the original
couple were Emmeline Labiche and Louis
Arceneaux.
 His modern recounting has the lovers reuniting in
St. Martinville under a live oak tree.
 The tree in St. Martinville has become a tourist
attraction.
“Evangeline”

Introductory
THIS is the forest primeval. The murmuring pines and the hemlocks,
Bearded with moss, and in garments green, indistinct in the twilight,
Stand like Druids of eld, with voices sad and prophetic,
Stand like harpers hoar, with beards that rest on their bosoms.
Loud from its rocky caverns, the deep-voiced neighboring ocean
Speaks, and in accents disconsolate answers the wail of the forest.
This is the forest primeval; but where are the hearts that beneath it
Leaped like the roe, when he hears in the woodland the voice of the huntsman?
Where is the thatch-roofed village, the home of Acadian farmers –
Men whose lives glided on like rivers that water the woodlands,
Darkened by shadows of earth, but reflecting an image of heaven?
Waste are those pleasant farms, and the farmers forever departed!
Scattered like dust and leaves, when the mighty blasts of October
Seize them, and whirl them aloft, and sprinkle them far o'er the ocean.
Naught but tradition remains of the beautiful village of Grand-Pre.
Ye who believe in affection that hopes, and endures, and is patient,
Ye who believe in the beauty and strength of woman's devotion,
List to the mournful tradition still sung by the pines of the forest;
List to a Tale of Love in Acadie, home of the happy.
The New Orleans Fires

1788
1794
 On Good Friday, a priest
accidentally knocked over a
candle.
 Church bells were used to alert
fire department, but were not
supposed to ring on Good
Friday
 By the tire authorities were
alerted, chaos reigned
 Fire department spoke French
and the officials spoke Spanish
 850 buildings (including the
Cabildo and St. Louis
Cathedral) were destroyed and
1000 people lost homes.
 In addition to 3 hurricanes,
New Orleans was again
ravished by fire.
 Caused by boys setting fire to
a pile of hay
 Fewer buildings destroyed,
but repairs were more costly.
 Carondolet demanded that
buildings over 1 story tall be
made of brick.
 Architecture changed to
Spanish style.
 Most French Quarter
buildings are in Spanish style
Francisco Luis Hector,
Baron de Carondolet
 Born in France
 Served in the French
military
 Joined Spanish Army
under O’Reilly
 Established Louisiana's
first newspaper, "Le
Moniteur“.
 He made many
improvements in the
infrastructure of New
Orleans

Boundary Disputes

 Spain gained West Florida in
the American Revolution, but
the northern boundary was
not clear.
 Spain and America both
claimed Natchez.
 Western Americans
threatened to attack New
Orleans and secure the
Mississippi River.
 Spain would lose Louisiana if
war erupted.
 American troops could easily
travel down river, but
Spanish troops would have
to come from Cuba.
 The Treaty of San
Lorenzo, or Pinckney’s
Treaty was signed to
avoid war.
 Spain agreed to:
 set the boundary of
West Florida at 31° north
latitude
 reopen river to American
trade
 Give the United States
right of deposit in New
Orleans.
Pointe Coupee Slave
Rebellion

 Immigration from SaintDomingue caused sharp increase
in slave population
 Fearing a rebellion, Carondolet
loosened slave laws
 Slaves encouraged to lodge
complaints about cruel owners
 Owners were NOT happy
 Slaves began challenging
authority and starting work
slowdowns.
 Rumor had it that a rebellion was
imminent.
Pointe Coupee Slave
Rebellion

 Soldiers moved quickly and began
making arrests.
 Twenty-three slaves hanged
 Thirty-one slaves flogged so severely
that only 4 survived.
 Whites that encouraged the rebellion
were banished from the area.
 Carondolet was blamed
 Slaves were treated more harshly
than before
 Carondolet’s new order put slaves
under the authority of all white
people.
Spain’s Economic Success

Sugar
 First grown for syrup, sugar
quickly became the largest
cash crop in the colony.
 Etienne de Bore, a sugarcane
plantation owner, developed
a better/easier method for
granulating sugar.
 Increased demand for sugar
which made it more
profitable.
Perique Tobacco
 Fur trading and logging
were still important, but
farming became the most
important industry.
 Perique tobacco, a new crop,
became very profitable
 At its peak, almost one
million pounds of perique
tobacco were exported from
the colony.
Land Grants

Marquis de Maison
Baron de Bastrop
Rouge
 Received a large land
grant near the end of
Carondolet’s term.
 Promised to bring in
hundreds of settlers.
 Only a few families came
 Granted the largest land grant in
Louisiana history (over 1 million
acres)

All of modern day Morehouse
Parish and most of West Carroll
Parish
 Did not deliver the number of
settlers promised
 Eventually sold the land
• Though they didn’t meet their quotas, both Maison Rouge and
Bastrop brought in many families.
• Most were Americans who brough English culture to Northeast
Louisiana
The French Revolution

 The French Revolution
marked a 10 year period
where working-class people
rose up against the French
aristocracy.
 Thousands of people,
including King Louis XVI and
Queen Marie Antoinette,
were beheaded.
 To avoid the violence, many
French people came to
Louisiana.
 To distinguish the new
French from the Creoles,
Louisianans began calling
them Foreign French.
 Worried that the Creole
support of the Revolution
would lead to a rebellion
here, Carondolet brought in
more soldiers, strengthened
the defenses in New
Orleans, and began arresting
(and sometimes deporting)
those believed to be
responsible for the unrest.
Napoleon Bonaparte

 French general- emerged from
Revolution as France’s dictator.
 Wanted to rebuild the French
empire in America.
 Planned to turn SaintDomingue into a giant
sugarcane plantation.
 Needed Louisiana back to
grow food to feed the slave
labor.
Treaty of San Ildefonso

 Napoleon forced Spain to give Louisiana back to France.
 Spain’s military was too weak to go up against Napoleon’s
batallions.
 Napoleon promised to make the Spanish king’s son-in-law
minor royalty.
 Spain was to continue running the colony until Napoleon could
send in enough troops.
 Thomas Jefferson heard of the treaty and became concerned.
 Napoleon was aggressive and powerful.
 American right of deposit was revoked.
 Seen as a sign of aggression
 United States could not defeat France in war.
 Jefferson decided to buy the Isle of Orleans.
 Save the economy of the western U.S.
Negotiating a Deal

 Robert Livingston, ambassador to France,
was sent to negotiate the sale of the Isle of
Orleans.
 Napoleon refused- wanted to build an
empire
 When James Monroe went to assist
Livingston he learned Napoleon had a
change of heart.
 He wanted to sell ALL of Louisiana
 Wanted to wage a new war against
England- needed money.
 Lost Saint Domingue due to a slave
rebellion.
 Without the sugarcane plantation, he did not
need the colony.
The Louisiana Purchase

 Livingston and Monroe agreed
that purchasing the entire
colony was a better value than
just the Isle of Orleans.
 Only authorized $10 million to
buy the Isle of Orleans.
 Decided to go against orders
and pay $15 million for the
entire territory.
The Louisiana Purchase

 Negotiations with the Marquis de BarbeMarbois were finalized and the Louisiana
Purchase Treaty was signed on April 30,
1803.
 Jefferson was very pleased with the deal.
 Jefferson arranged to borrow the $15
million from England to pay for the
territory.
 England essentially financed war against
themselves.
 For less than four cents per acre, the United
States doubled in size.
 15 states were eventually created from this
land
 This was the first land acquisition our
nation negotiated.
Another New Culture

 Assimilating became a major reason for opposition of the
Louisiana Purchase.
 Most of the nation were English speaking Protestants.
 How would 50,000 French speaking Catholics fit in?
 Louisianans were confused and worried after the purchase.
 They had enjoyed prosperity under the Spanish.
 Their only association with Americans (Kaintocks) was not
favorable.
 William C.C. Claiborne was sent by Jefferson to serve as
territorial governor and smooth the way.
 General James Wilkinson was sent to protect the newly
acquired land.
Three Flags in Three Weeks

 A ceremony was held to mark the transition from
Spanish to French ownership.
 Less than three weeks later, a second ceremony was
held in the Place d’Armes to mark the transfer from
French to American rule.