Timeline of Louisiana History
1650 B.C. Native Americans build large settlement at Poverty Point Louisiana
1541 Hernando De Soto “discovers” the Mississippi River
1682 Robert La Salle claims all land of the Mississippi River for France
1718 Iberville and Bienville found the city of New Orleans French sent Colonists to live in the Louisiana Territory
1719 Black slaves were imported into New Orleans Slaves were bought and sold and forced to work for no pay
1762 King Louis IX of France gave Spain a large part of the Louisiana Territory The French were forced to give this land to Spain because of the Seven Years War
Great Fire of New Orleans A fire breaks out and burns much of the city of New Orleans The Spanish rebuild the French quarter
1800 Spain ceded Louisiana back to France
1803 The Louisiana Purchase Louisiana is purchased by The United States of America
The Louisiana Purchase President Thomas Jefferson bought the Louisiana Territory from France The Territory cost the United States 15 million dollars The Louisiana Territory doubled the size of the United States Gave the United States control of the Mississippi River!
Vocab Colonist- a person who settles in a new colony or moves into new country Slavery- work done under harsh conditions for little or no pay Territory-an area or region of land