The Cajun History

The Cajun History

Grounded in the Mississippi delta, New Orleans has a history that is quite possibly larger than Texas.

(New Orleans near the Superdome. Source)

The original elevation of the land came from the Native American Indians that built mounds for habitation above the water level 1300 years before French traders and colonists arrived through Lake Pontchartrain. Upon arrival of the French settlers, the natives were slowly pushed out of their land and by 1701, Nouvelle-Orleans (after the Duke of Orleans) was founded as an official city.

The head of the establishment was a French native by the name of Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville and he chose the location of the city for many reasons. The land New Orleans rests upon was elevated to such an extent that it became a natural levee against the water; the position gave remarkable access to the trade routes in the area; and finally, it allowed the French to have access to the entire Mississippi River Valley. With these benefits of positioning, New Orleans eventually became the new capital of French Louisiana.

In 1722 a massive hurricane destroyed the city for the first time in recorded history and the preservation of the city's future became the priority. Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville created and implemented the grid plan layout of the city that would aid in directing and containing flood waters should there ever be a breach. This plan designed by de Bienville is still seen in New Orleans today in the historical French Quarter.

(City plan of New Orleans by de Bienville int the 1720s. Source)

Just after the Seven Year's War with Britain in 1763, New Orleans was given as compensation to Spain for the loss of Florida (as dictated by the Treaty of Paris) and a new power ruled the city. There existed a power struggle in the city between France and Spain until the year 1800 with the Treaty of San Ildefonso. New Orleans stayed under French control until 1803 when Napoleon sold the city with the Louisiana Purchase to America.

Being the most coveted city in southern America in this century, the War of 1812 and the American Civil War were the next two wars that had a significant impact on New Orleans. Under the former, British troops were sent to invade and conquer the city until Andrew Jackson and his forces stopped them in their tracks and sent them home. For the latter, New Orleans was captured without a fight in the fighting and therefore suffered less damage compared to other southern cities.

Epidemics such as Yellow Fever and Cholera haunted the progression of the city as well as the numerous hurricanes that struck the city hard--Fort Lauderdale Hurricane, Hurricane Betsy, Hurricane Katrina, etc. Although the city went through a lot with regards to warfare involvement, it also went through a lot in terms of environmental adaptation. The most notable adaptation being the systems of pumps and levees New Orleans uses to push water out and evade the water coming in. Further posts will further examine the history and purpose of the levee system.

(View of flooded land post Katrina. Source)

Bibliography: Source