The French Come to Louisiana

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The French Come to Louisiana

• Chapter 5 1

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French Louisiana

• Chapter 5

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Exploring the Mississippi
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• The French established their 1st trading posts
  not on the Gulf Coast but in the cold Canadian
  north.
• Canadian traders wanted to expand their trading
  area by finding a river that would take them to
  China or to the Indies. This water route is
  known as the NW Passage.

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NW Passage
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A. Hernando De Soto

• De Soto and approximately 600 men landed in
  Florida to search for gold.
• They wandered across the southeastern United
  States and treated Indians brutally as they
  hunted for riches.
• De Soto discovered the Mississippi River, crossed
  into Arkansas, discovered Hot Springs, and then
  traveled down the Ouachita River.
• De Soto died from fever in southeast Arkansas.
• Few of his men survived, and they had no gold or
  riches.
• Europeans did not send another expedition for
  over 100 years.

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De Sotos Route
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Joliet and Marquette
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• Joliet and Marquette set out to explore the MS
  River.
• Their determination took them as far down the
  Mississippi as the mouth of the Arkansas River.
• There, at an Indian village, they learned that
  traveling further downriver could be dangerous.
• Unwilling to risk an encounter w/ armed Indians
  or Spanish soldiers, the French exploring party
  returned N.

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Joliet and Marquette
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La Salle
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• Robert La Salle had long dreamed of finding a
  water route to China. In search of this water
  route, he joined forces w/ Henri Tonti.
• Tonti had lost his hand in a battle. B/c of
  this, he was a hero among the Indians.
• The Indians called him Iron Hand
• LaSalle and Tonti set out from Canada into the
  upper MS River. Eventually, they reached the
  mouth of the MS River.

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Henri Tonti
Robert La Salle
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Henri de Tonti (Read more about it on page 100)
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• La Salle claimed all the land drained by the MS
  River for his king, Louis XIV. He honored the
  king by naming the land Louisiana, which means,
  land of Louis.
• The king rewarded him w/ a small fleet of ships
  and 300 colonists and directed him to establish a
  new colony.

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Louis XIV
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• La Salles return trip, however, was not a
  successful one. After sailing into the Gulf of
  Mexico, La Salle missed the mouth of the MS River
  and ended up in TX.
• The colonists were frightened and frustrated.
  Many died at sea and more died in TX. The
  journey was difficult and ended horribly when
  some of the colonist murdered La Salle.

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Colonizing Louisiana
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• La Salle did not establish the 1st French colony
  on the Gulf Coast. However, his claim in the
  name of France set off a chain of events that led
  to the first French colony.
• When Spain and Britain learned of Frenchs claim,
  they reacted immediately.
• Both Spain and Britain rushed to build forts near
  the mouth of the MS River.

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• When Louis XIV heard of these plans, he quickly
  wanted to establish a fort near the mouth of the
  MS River.
• The king chose Iberville to establish this fort
  and set up the 1st French colony on the Gulf
  Coast. Iberville chose his brother, Bienville to
  accompany him on the expedition.

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Bienville
Iberville
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Fort Maurepas
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• The king charged Iberville w/ establishing a base
  from which to control the mouth of the
  Mississippi River.
• He 1st had to explore the land near the river and
  choose a location for his headquarters.
• When Iberville sailed into the Gulf, he found
  that the Spanish held the best harbor near the MS
  River. As a result, he continued to sail
  westward.

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• They built a few huts for a temporary camp then
  set out to find the mouth of the Mississippi
  River.
• Iberville and Bienville discovered what they had
  believed to be the mouth of the Mississippi River
  but wasnt too sure.
• To make sure that this was the Mississippi, the
  brothers questioned the local Indians. The
  Indians gave the brothers a letter Tonti left La
  Salle, but he never returned to receive it. The
  brothers had found the mouth of the river.

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• The mouth of the river, however, was a poor
  location for the fort. The Gulf Coast had better
  harbors and land for a colony.
• The brothers built the fort near Biloxi and named
  it Fort Maurepas.

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Fort Maurepas

• http//www.louisiana101.com/rr_fortmaurepas.html
• What problems do you think existed at Fort
  Maurepas?

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C. Baton Rouge and Pontchartrain

• Iberville and a group of Indian guides who were
  helping him found a red pole sticking out of the
  ground.
• Iberville called the area Baton Rouge, or red
  stick.
• Iberville and his guides also found a shortcut to
  the Gulf and the largest lake he had ever seen.
  Iberville named the lake Pontchartrain after his
  superior, Count Pontchartrain.
• Iberville named the smaller lake after his son,
  Count Maurepas, and established Fort Maurepas,
  the first French settlement in Louisiane.
• Twice, Iberville had to return to France for
  supplies.

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Naming Early Forts (Read more about it on page
103)
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An Uneasy Time
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An Uneasy Time

• When the fort was finished, Iberville returned to
  France for more supplies, soldiers, and settlers.
  While he was gone, the fort lacked food and
  supplies. The settlers were also afraid of a
  Chickasaw attack, who were friends of the
  British.
• While Iberville was in France, Bienville explored
  the river.

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• While on the trip, a British ship approached his
  tiny ship and informed him that they were there
  to establish a colony on the Mississippi River.
• Bienville informed him that France controlled the
  Mississippi region and hinted that he would
  attack if the British did not leave peacefully.
  Also, he informed them that further up the river
  were many French ships ready to attack invaders.
  The British believed Bienvilles bluff and turned
  around and went home.

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• This has come to be known as the English Turn and
  its located S. of New Orleans. Bienvilles
  action prevented the British from establishing a
  colony.
• The local Indians also presented a challenge to
  the French. The Indians were very friendly to
  the French however, the French conquered them
  and made them their slaves.

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CoureursdeBois
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Coureurs de Bois

• Coureurs de bois, means runners of the woods.
• These men were hunters and traders who depended
  on the Indians to keep them alive.
• Many coureurs de bois dressed like Indians,
  followed their customs, and married their women.

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Voyageurs
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Voyageurs

• Voyageurs made their livings paddling canoes and
  other boas for explorers and traders.
• These men were mostly Canadians and were very
  strong.
• Voyageurs dressed much like pirates and were
  rowdy colorful characters.

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C. The Pelican Girls

• The Pelican Girls were 23 young women sent from
  Paris to marry the early explorers and help the
  population grow.

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• French Explorers Video Video Quiz

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Chp. 5-1 Activity

• Use the U.S. map markers to draw the routes of
  the early explorers (Desoto, Joliet Marquette,
  LaSalle Iberville)
• Use the LA map markers to draw the routes of
  Iberville. P. 102-103
• Homework Create a pyramid on an explorer list
  accomplishments of Iberville Bienville

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Louisiana as a Proprietorship

• Chapter 5 2

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Mercantilism
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Mercantilism

• During Louisianas colonial period, its economy
  was based of the economic theory of mercantilism.
• Mercantilism is when a colony provided raw
  materials to the mother country and in turn, that
  country made products and sold it back to the
  colony.
• For many years, it was actually against the law
  for people in Louisiana to trade with other
  countries.

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• In reality, however, mercantilism never worked
  very well in Louisiana.
• Many colonists realized it was easier and cheaper
  to trade illegally with the Spanish.
• This illegal trading was known as smuggling.

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Mercantilism
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Antoine Crozat
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Antoine Crozat

• France had just fought a war w/ Spain and was
  almost bankrupt and could not really afford LA.
  However, France needed the colony as a buffer
  against Britain.
• France could keep the colony if a new source of
  funding could be found. King Louis XIV decided
  to try the proprietary plan.
• A proprietary colony is when a person or group
  control the colony but they had to follow the
  laws of that country they received the land from.

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Antoine Crozat
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• The French govt gave the proprietorship of LA to
  Antoine Crozat. Crozat selected Cadillac as the
  new governor of LA. He was famous for finding
  Detroit.
• Cadillac had difficulties as a leader
• Offended Indians
• Did not have a personality
• Could not handle conflicts w/ govt officials
• Cadillac did, however, establish the Superior
  Council. The Superior Council was a group that
  helped govern the colony. Also, he suggest they
  make money by selling indigo and tobacco.

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• Another of Cadillacs positive actions was
  selecting St. Denis to establish Natchitoches.

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Marie Therese Coin Coin (Related to Mrs.
Metoyers husband. Read more about it on page
108)
Melrose Plantation
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The Company of the West
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The Company of the West

• The next proprietor of LA was a group of
  investors. The head of this group was John Law.
  
• Law created the Company of the West, an
  investment company to take over LA. He convinced
  people that LA would make them a huge profit.
• Law also brought Bienville back as governor.

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John Law
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• As governor, Bienville designed and laid out the
  city of New Orleans.
• Law convinced a lot of Germans to migrate to LA
  and they settled around New Orleans.
• Colonists complained that they did not have
  flour, fabric, wine, brandy, shirts or shoes. As
  the colony struggled w/ these shortages and
  hardships, Law was still promising huge profits
  in LA.

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• Finally, investors withdrew their from the
  Company of the West and the company collapsed.
  This was known as the Mississippi Bubble.

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The Mississippi Bubble (Read more about it on
page 113)
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The Code Noir
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The Code Noir

• A slave is a person who is bound to a life of
  service to others and who is considered property.
  The first slaves came to LA from W. Africa.
• The Africans ability to cultivate rice added
  another staple food to the diet of the colony.
  They also knew how to grow indigo and tobacco.

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• The slaves were also responsible for building New
  Orleans.
• The colony had to have a way to manage the large
  slave population. To do that, Bienville
  established the Code Noir.
• The Code Noir is a set of laws governing the
  conduct of slaves and kicked the Jews out of LA.
• The laws also said slaves could not carry weapons
  unless for hunting and they could not gather in
  crowds. The laws set out harsh penalties for
  runaway slaves.

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Creoles (Read more about it on page 116)

• The meaning of the term Creole has changed over
  the years.
• Originally, a Creole was an African slave from
  Louisiane.
• Then, children born to French or Spanish
  Louisianians were called Creoles.
• Finally, it meant someone of mixed blood.
• Today, Creole is also the name of a language that
  evolved in south Louisiana and a term used to
  describe buildings or foods of Louisiana origin.

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Voodoo (Read more about it on page 117)

• Voodoo is a religion based on a mixture of
  Catholic and African beliefs.
• Voodooists believe
• Nature and natural objects have life.
• There are many spirits.
• Magic, chants, spells, potions and charms have
  great power.

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The Natchez Uprising
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The Natchez Uprising

• Bienville built a fort near Natchez on land
  belonging to the Natchez Indians. The Indians
  allowed the French to build the fort and were
  helpful to the colonists.
• The colonist wanted more land from the Indians
  and demanded that the Natchez move immediately.
• Deciding that the French would never stop
  intruding on their land and culture, the Indians
  attacked the colonist w/o warning.

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• Over 250 colonist were killed. This event has
  come to be known as the Natchez Uprising.

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Chp. 5-2 Activity

• Use the textbook to complete the web about the
  Code Noir and its impact on life in Louisiane.
• Choose one of the following to complete
• Pretend you are a voyageur and create a flyer or
  newspaper ad describing yourself the services
  you can provide explorers, traders, settlers.
  Include a sketch of your pirogue.p.104
• Create a flyer or ad you think Bienville might
  have used to encourage young women to move to
  French Louisiane.

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Louisiana as a Royal Colony
Chapter 5 3
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Louisiana As a Royal Colony

• The loss at the Natchez Uprising was too much for
  the Company of the West. The colony had never
  made any , and the French govt had never paid
  its share of the cost toward running the colony.
• As a result, the Company handed the colony back
  to the king.
• A royal colony is a colony that is ruled by the
  king.

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The French and Indian War
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The French and Indian War

• By the mid 1700s, the French had pushed into the
  Ohio River Valley, intending to control the fur
  trade of the area. However, the British were
  eyeing the same territory.
• The British govt sent George Washington to lead
  a troop to investigate the French activity near
  Pittsburgh.
• Washington warned the French to leave, but they
  refused.

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• When the British tried to force their way onto
  the land anyway, the French retaliated. Thus,
  began the French and Indian War.
• Spain entered the war to help the French.
• Most of the fighting took place in Canada. The
  British were constantly taking control of French
  forts in the area. France knew they could not
  win the war and surrendered.

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Results of the French and Indian War
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Results of the French and Indian War

• The Treaty of Paris 1763 officially ended the
  war.
• The treaty did the following
• Spain traded Florida to Britain in return for
  Cuba
• France gave all the land E. of the Mississippi
  River to Britain
• France gave LA to Spain
• France lost all of its land in N. America

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• Spain and France, however, had already
  transferred LA during the war. The secret treaty
  was known as the Treaty of Fountainbleu.
• The arrangement was hidden from Britain b/c it
  might have affected the war and its results. If
  the British knew LA already belonged to Spain,
  they might have demanded the colony in the war
  settlement.

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