The history of New Orleans begins with the settlement of Native American Indians around the area between Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi River, where they could create a port for trading. It is known that as far back as the 1690s French trappers were trading furs here and started to settle into the area themselves. These original settlements were on the levees along the banks of the Mississippi river, as opposed to the later developments which spread into the lower laying bayous of the river delta.
Originally called Nouvelle Orléans by the French Settlers, in honor of the French Regent, the town was founded in 1718 and by 1722 had become of such significance as a port and town that it became the capital of French Louisiana; this area of the USA then being under French control. Most of the immigration into New Orleans in the 18th century was from France, Germany and Canada - French Canadians in particular; and the influence of the French especially is still very strong in the city. Like many of the major east coast ports of the 18th century, Nouvelle Orléans was involved in the trading of slaves from Africa. However, it was also one of the first places that many Africans and their descendants became “les gens de couleur libre” - free people of color.
In the 1760s, due to political machinations back in Europe, the region oscillated between being French and Spanish; and in the decades to come the Spanish influence on the city was to grow. Following two major fires which destroyed much of Nouvelle Orléans towards the end of the 18th century, it was rebuilt in the Spanish style - which ironically is the style of building you will still see in the French Quarter.
At this time the economy of the city was largely based on the sugar trade, from the nearby plantations with their African slaves. Apart from that trade at the port was not particularly successful; and it quickly became somewhat of a haven for smugglers. The turn of the century saw the interior of America start to open up and travel and transport up and down the Mississippi River turned around the fortunes of the port. Also at the turn of the century the French were back in control; but by 1803 they had sold French Louisiana, and therefore the city, to the America for some $23 million. Not a bad price for America to pay, even in those day, as French Louisiana at that time spread across almost one third of the country.
Under American ownership trade and the population grew rapidly, the population went from around 10,000 in the 1790s - to over 100,000 by 1840. Largely due to the slave trade, not only had New Orleans become the fourth largest city in America, but it may well have also been the wealthiest at that time. Although it had a small and local railway as early 1831 the main railway connections west and north were established by 1850, around the same time as the telegraph network expanded. These features helped trade to further develop and the city was doing well up to the time that the American Civil war broke out. Although it was captured by the Union forces, it was spared from being razed to the ground, as so many other cities were. At the end of the civil war the new laws introduced by Congress did not go down well with white-supremacist elements. Forming the White league they ousted the government elected by the newly enfranchised black voters and instigated the ‘Jim Crow Laws’; resulting in African Americans being discriminated against until the 1960s. Interestingly, New Orleans is acknowledged as hold the first World Trade Fair in 1884; although a financial failure it did kick-start the city’s tourist industry.
The 20th century expansion of New Orleans into its famous crescent shape took place almost exclusively in the area enclosed by the levees and, therefore, below sea level. The swamps and marshland had to be drained to be able to build on them and some of the original pumps from 1910, built by the engineer Baldwin Wood, are still in use today - draining away heavy rain water. As the 20th century progressed the fortunes of New Orleans as a port were revived when oil exploration in the Gulf of Mexico got under way; which in turn brought petrochemical industries into the area.
New Orleans is a city rich in history. We have claims to many "oldest this" and "oldest thats." This is one of the reasons New Orleans is so much fun to explore. Being the second-largest port in the nation also has had a dramatic impact on New Orleans' history. This page contains stories and articles on various aspects of the history of New Orleans, as well as links to other sites on the web of use to folks whose research takes them to New Orleans.
Editor's Note: This section is quite ambitious, and will obviously be "under construction" for some time. Being a former history teacher, I don't believe in plagarism of any sort, so this section will consist only of original works. If you'd like to submit something for inclusion here, feel free to e-mail me at
elendil@yatcom.com.
Note: If you're looking for stuff on Carnival, then check out the Virtual Mardi Gras.
Origins of New OrleansFrench and Spanish Colonial
RuleNapoleon and LouisianaThe Americans Take Control
The Battle of New Orleans
Overview of the Battle
Order of Battle, January 8, 1815
Bio of Lieutenant-General Sir Edward Pakenham, G.C.B., British Commander.
19th Century Growth and
ExpansionSlaveryThe Civil WarReconstructionBack on TrackEarly 20th CenturyThe Great DepressionWorld War IIThe FiftiesThe SixtiesThe SeventiesThe EightiesNew Orleans Now
Check out Lee Madere's
brief History of New Orleans
page.New Orleans Public Library
Archival Research Repositories in New Orleans
This is a great page put together by Lee Miller of the Howard-Tilton Library at Tulane. Most of the resources listed on this page are off-line, so you're going to want to print this one out.
Special Collections Division of the Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, Tulane University
Tulane's Library is a rich resource for those researching the city, and the Special Collections Division has an extensive collection of original documents, maps, photos, sheet music, and other items.
Amistad Research Center
An independent archives, library, & museum dedicated to preserving African-American & ethnic history and culture.
UNO's Earl K. Long Library
Library of Congress On-Line
Back to the VNO Home Page
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