People and Leaders
Who claimed the Mississippi River region for France in the late 1600s?
Robert LaSalle
Around which major river was French colonial Louisiana centered?
The Mississippi River
Why did mercantilism fail in the French Louisiana colony?
The land did not offer gold and silver that the French wanted to find.
New Orleans was intentionally built along a _________.
River
What was the name of the group that were free Africans?
Free People of Color (Les Gens de Couler Libres)
Who was the Louisiana named after?
King Louis XIV, king of France
Why was New Orleans' location near the mouth of the Mississippi important for trade and settlement? Give one clear reason.
It allowed control of river trade, access to the Gulf of Mexico, and easy transport of goods inland.
What was one of the settlers' primary sources of income in the French colony's early years?
Fur trading and lumber yards were also common.
What is New Orleans' nickname?
Crescent City
What do you call a person that was born in the Louisiana colony?
Creole
Who is the explorer that went with his brother to establish settlements in the Louisiana Colony and was the commander of Fort Maurepas?
Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville
What is Natchitoches, and why is it important in the history of colonial Louisiana?
Natchitoches is the oldest permanent settlement in Louisiana (founded 1714) and served as a trade center linking French settlers with Spanish and Native communities.
Who did Jean-Baptiste Bienville establish a trade and military alliance with?
Native American tribes and nations
Where was Fort Maurepas located (present-day state)?
Mississippi
Which group left French Canada after being kicked out by the British after the French and Indian War?
Acadians
Who sent idealistic advertisements to encourage people to invest or become a settler for the Company of the West in the Louisiana Colony?
John Law
What type of physical environment did Lower Louisiana have?
Lower Louisiana had a subtropical climate with hot and humid summers and mild winters. Poor weather was common, and it faced many dangers of hurricane season because of it rested near the Gulf Coast.
Where did St. Denis establish a trading post?
Fort des Natchitoches on the lands of the Natchitoches tribe.
What were French settlements usually built near?
Waterways (Rivers, Gulf, Lakes)
Which group was encouraged by the Spanish government to come to Louisiana?
Canary Islanders (Islenos)
What did Pauger create to fortify the New Orleans settlement against future floods and storms?
Pauger created a grid system of streets and blocks in the New Orleans settlement.
Where was the Fort Maurepas, the first French capital of the Louisiana Colony, located?
It originally was in Biloxi, Mississippi, but it was later moved to Mobile, Alabama.
How did the financial crash of Law's company negatively impact the Louisiana Colony?
It caused inflation.
What were small farming settlements along the Mississippi River called?
Plantations
What rights did the les gens de couleur libres have under the laws of the Code Noir? Write down at least one.
Marriage Rights and Property Ownership Rights