1763 - 1803

Spanish Louisiana & The Louisiana Purchase

Antonio de Ulloa Spain owned the colony but France continued to run it A famous scientist and engineer who was appointed Spain’s first

governor in Louisiana. Viewed as introverted distant, and a poor manager, he was

ousted from power during the Creole Revolution. He planned to run the colony from behind the scenes

Unrest in the Colony He married a Mestizo woman and many felt he had violated the

Code Noir. New economic regulations destroyed traditional trade ties. Inflation was out of control so he set prices. Merchants did not like being told how much they could charge

for goods . Superior Council disliked him and began plotting to rebel

Spanish Government BeginsCreoles were outraged about Spanish control

October 28, 1768, a mob of locals disabled the cannons protecting New Orleans.

400 Creoles and German Coast residents stormed the city, and the Superior Council told Ulloa to leave

Ulloa left and the French flag flew once againThey wrote a letter to the French king asking

to be taken back by France—The king did not respond Spain was going to strike back

The Creole Revolution

1 year later, Spanish fleet with 2,000 soldiers arrived in New Orleans to take back control

Commanded by General Don Alejandro O’ReillyAlthough Irish, he served Spain, and with

his troops returned Louisiana to Spanish control after the Creole Revolution.

He executed and imprisoned the revolt’s leaders and served as Louisiana’s governor for a year.

Became know as “Bloody” O’Reilly

The Spanish Return with “Bloody” O’Reilly

The Spanish government was more effective than that of the French Spanish officials were specifically trained for their jobs so

the government was more efficient than under the French.Checks and Balances reduced political corruption among

officials.Two Lieutenant Governors assisted the Governor. The colony was divided into Parishes with a commandment

in each to enforce the law and judge minor cases. Parishes were established. Each had a Catholic church and

a priest. The colony’s economic affairs were controlled by the

intendant.

New Laws

Replaced the Superior Council and passed laws for the city of New Orleans

It included members who were appointed (by the Governor), as well as some who paid for their positions.

Each member had specific responsibilities. If someone was convicted of a crime, they could

appeal the conviction to the Cabildo The O’Reilly Code was the name of the new

Spanish legal system It had various levels of courts and judges who

were trained for their positions

The Cabildo

The Spanish Code Noir was similar to French, but included more rights for slaves

Freed slaves had the same rights as whitesSlaves could now testify in courtThey were guaranteed a 30-minute lunch break and two-hour

dinner breaks. Owners could now free slaves without government permission. Slaves had the right to buy their own freedom by splitting any

wages they earned with their owners. These changes resulted in a steady increase in the number of

freed slaves.Most became small merchants or craftsmenThey had to carry their manumission papers

Changes to the Code Noir

Replaced O’Reilly as governor of Louisiana. His calm manner and marriage to a local

Creole woman along with allowing floating warehouses helped the colony prosper.

Allowed English trading vessels, called floating warehouses, to come down the Mississippi River and trade goods even thought it was illegal

Luis de Unzaga

Colonists on the eastern seaboard had been arguing with Great Britain for years

Fighting eruptedOn July 4, 1776 colonial delegates approved a

document declaring their independence as a separate nation

Spain did not officially support either side, but hoped the colonies would win

Unzaga offered the colonies helpOliver Pollock, an American merchant provided

wheat to aid the Louisiana colony and convinced the Spanish to aid the Patriots with gunpowder

The American Revolution

Became governor after Unzaga. He was popular with the citizens of Louisiana

and secretly helped the colonies as they fought for independence.

Worked secretly with Oilver Pollock to provide aid to the colonies

Shipped medicine, clothing, and weapons up the Mississippi to the rebels

Considered a HUGE part of the success of the American Revolution, a Hero

Bernardo de Galvez

Spain decided to join the colonies in their war against England

Galvez raised an army and marched for Baton RougeArmy included Spanish Soldiers, Creoles, black militiamen

and IndiansGalvez captured Fort Bute, Fort Richmond, an English

regiment at Mobile, and Pensacola Treaties ending the Revolutionary war forced England to give: Independence to Americans Florida to Spain Baton Rouge and the rest of West Florida continue to be

separate from LouisianaSpain owned the entire Gulf Coast

Taking Sides

A Louisiana Governor fluent in seven languages. More settlers came to Louisiana during his term than during that of

any other Spanish governor.

The Colony Grows because the Spanish wanted to move in large numbers of people to protect the gold and silver mines in Mexico .

Spain built colonies population by offering a land grant which was a parcel of land promised to each family who would settle in Louisiana .

The Government also provided tools, a rooster, two hens, two pigs, and supplies for a year .

The Isleños- “Islanders” : Spanish group from the Canary Islands settled mostly in areas of St. Bernard, Ascension, and Plaquemines Parishes and made their livings by fishing and trapping.

Esteban Rodriguez Miro

Tensions over the Mississippi grewAmericans frequently traveled down the river to trade

in New Orleans Most came from Kentucky, the Creoles called all of

them KaintocksThey came into the city, drank too much, got into

fights, and generally caused trouble Due to this Miro closed the river to most American

trade Sometimes they let them through and sometime they

didn’tKaintocks were furious with this inconsistency

The Kanitocks

Miro was involvedGeneral _________________, an American and former

American Revolution general, was an ambitious and untrustworthy man

He was forced to resign from the army Wilkerson moved to _________________Territoryhe traveled to _________________and met secretly with

Governor MiroHswore _________________ to Spain Tried to get Kentucky to _________________from the

_________________and join the Spanish territory Failed and Kentucky became a _________________

The Spanish Conspiracy

The Acadians One of the _________________group of settlers _________________-speaking Catholic colonists who lived in the French

Canadian province of Acadia, which is modern-day Nova Scotia England acquired Acadia during one of the colonial wars, but the

Acadians did not like the English Protestants The _________________erupted and the English were afraid the

Acadians would help the French, so they were _________________ Le Grand Deŕangement 1755, the English government called a meeting and

_________________about 6,000 _________________aboard a ship It was tramatic and life-shattering no one wanted the Acadians People thought they were a _________________ and were

_________________________________

After many year in exile, Spain realized they would help populate the colony

Spanish offered to pay their way to Louisiana1769 - 1785: perhaps as many as 10,000

Acadians came to the colony Settled in the prairies of southwest Louisiana

and along Bayou Teche

Acadians Find Refuge in Louisiana

When a priest knocked over a candle the curtains caught fireSince it was Good Friday, bells were kept quiet so it took

longer to notify the fire departmentBecause the firemen spoke only French and the officials

giving order spoke Spanish, they were unable to fight the fire effectively

Due to the size of the fire, it destroyed over 850 buildings, and over 1000 people lost their homes

To reduce fire hazards, Governor Carondelet ordered builders to use brick for structures over one story tall.

After the second fire, architects and builders copied Spanish styles so most French Quarter architecture is more Spanish than French.

New Orleans Fires

He was born in France, served in the French military, joined the Spanish Army.

Although French, governed Louisiana for Spain.

Two Key EventsTreaty of San LorenzoPointe Coupee Slave Rebellion 

Francisco Luis Hector, Baron de Carondelet

Spain gained West Florida, but it’s northern boundary was under dispute

Spain claimed Natchez as part of the territoryUnited States arguedWestern American threatened to attack New Orleans and

secure take the Mississippi RiverAmerican’s were angry because Spain had closed the river to

American trade the river again Spain knew they would lose a war with the United States and

have to give up Louisiana Spain avoided warThe United States got to use the Mississippi River for trade and

had the right of deposit in New Orleans for 3 years

Treaty of San Lorenzo-Boundary Disputes

Carondelet felt harsh treatment of slaves could lead to rebellion, so he established laws that treated slave more humanely.

His policy has several effects.These included:

Slaves challenged their owners’ authorityWork slowed downThe Pointe Coupee Revolt-which resulted in the hanging of

23 slaves and 31 floggings so severe that only four survived

Some slave owners then began treating slaves even more harshly than before the new policy

The new policy put slaves under the authority of all whites.

The Pointe Coupée Slave Revolt

Economics Spain was much more successful than France Sugar Became the primary cash crop in the colony Etienne de Borewas a sugarcane grower with a plantation in New Orleans His new granulating process made sugarcane a very profitable crop

Perique Tobacco Became an important crop that brought money to the colony Land Grants

Marquis de Maison Rouge and Baron de Bastrop were given over one Million acres in North Louisiana

Neither man met his quota to bring new settlers in Most settlers who did come to the colony were Americans who brought

English culture with them

Economics – Late 1700’s

During the French Revolution, working-class people rebelled against upper-class aristocrats who ruled France.

During the 10-year revolt thousands were killed. The King and Queen were beheaded.

Foreign French

Louisiana’s French population swelled because of the masses of French fleeing the country to escape the Revolution

They were called the Foreign French Soon Revolutionary societies sprang up in Louisiana and the

Spain feared a revolt Governor Carondelet sent in more troops and arrested the rebels There was no revolt

The End of Spanish Louisiana

Napoleon BonaparteHe became Emperor after the

French Revolution. dreamt of rebuilding the

French EmpireThe only significant colony

France had left in North American was Saint Domingue

He wanted to turn this colony into a money-making Sugarcane plantation

He needed a place to get food for the plantation slaves and Louisiana was the answer

 

Fall of 1800 Napoleon forced Spain to give Louisiana back to France in the secret Treaty of San Ildefonso.

Spain’s military was too weak to fight Napoleon

He allowed the Spanish to continue running the colony

President Jefferson became concerned the Napoleon may want to attack the United States

A Secret Treaty: The Treaty of San Ildefonso

Fighting for Control

1802 Spain revoked the right of deposit to American traders

If the river was eventually closed to trade the US economy would suffer

Jefferson decided to buy the Isle of Orleans

He know whoever controlled the city of New Orleans controlled the entire MississippiValley

Jefferson send US ambassador to France, Robert Livingston to make the purchase

Napoleon would not consider selling the Isle of Orleans

Livingston and James Monroe then traveled to France

Napoleon decided he wanted to sell all of the Louisiana the entire Mississippi Valley

He wanted the money for a war against England and he had lost Saint-Domingue to a slave revolt (became Haiti) , so he no longer needed LA for food supplies

A Change of Plans

St. Domingue Slave Rebellion

Napoleon planned to turn Saint-Domingue into a giant Sugarcane plantation, but he would then need to feed the slaves by raising more crops in Louisiana.

A war with England and a slave rebellion on the island forced him to sell Louisiana to the United States instead.

Signing the Treaty Jefferson knew how aggressive

Napoleon was and wondered if he might attack the United States.

Robert Livingston and James Monroe traveled to France to convince Napoleon to sell the Isle of Orleans to the United States.

They soon learned Napoleon wanted to sell the entire colony of Louisiana for the price $15,000,000.

To pay for this, Jefferson arranged to borrow most of the money from English banks.

Our nation doubled in size thanks to the Louisiana PurchaseThe area was later carved into 15 states.

The Louisiana Purchase