A Brief History of Louisiana
The Louisiana Purchase of 1803 with present-day US states for reference
A brief overview of Louisiana history for those of us who forgot everything after high school.
1541-1542 Hernando de Soto discovers the mouth of the Mississippi River
1682 Robert Cavalier claims the territory for Louis XIV of France
1718 New Orleans was founded and named for Philippe Duc D'Orleans.
1723 New Orleans became the capital of Louisiana.
1751 Sugar cane was first introduced into Louisiana
1762 Louis XV gave western territory to his cousin, Charles III of Spain.
1763 The Seven Years’ War transfers Louisiana from France to Spain.
1764 First Acadian families arrive from New York.
July 4, 1776 The Declaration of Independence was signed.
1803 The Louisiana Purchase
1808 The first public school was established in Pointe Coupee Parish.
1812 Louisiana was admitted to the Union.
1812 The first steamboat was named “The New Orleans.”
1815 The Battle of New Orleans is won by Andrew Jackson.
1823 First natural gas in the state is discovered.
1849 Baton Rouge became the capital of Louisiana.
1861 Louisiana secedes from the Union.
1868 Louisiana was readmitted to the Union.
1932 New capitol is completed in Baton Rouge
1935 Senator Huey Long is assassinated in the state capitol.
2005 Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastate the Gulf Coast region.
A Map of The 64 Parishes of Louisiana
