Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 9.djvu/423

 LOnniAiu Si

profen." In the old Cabildo building b New Orleans the pravinM was traoBferred on 30 Nov., 1S03, br the Spanish oonunissionera Casa Calvo fTnd Salcedo to IdiUBsst, the representative of France; and the latter, at the same place, transferred the sovereignty of Louisiana on 20 Dec., 1803, to the Amcricau Com- tniaaiDnera, Wilkinson and Claiborne. There was no longer a colonial Louisiana. In 1804 the territory of Orleana waB organiied, which became on 30 April, 1812, the State of Louisiana.

FVffioh and Spmniih nunuscripta in &rchiv« of LoiiauuiA Hlsloric^ SodeC]', New Otieuu: tnuucripb tmm Freacb and BnuiUiu-chJvcs.aiDoocwbicharePiiRilEMABOBi'Bnacufnnili turlaLemtimt: Manuteript Memcir ol TxAsciaco Boouanr, UiHtuy Oovcnior of Louinuuia in 1T99 (1776): officiiiL roytl orden. regubtiDiu, and edicB, in archiva oC Louisiana Higlori- oal Society: ^ Mmitrur de ta lAtuinani (1794 lo 1803). Con- sult Hasokt. Oriffinet fran^itet det Payt tTOutrc-Mer (0 vols., Puia, 1S8I): BiHARD oi La. Harpe, Journal HiUonaat dt raaUiMtmeni da Frantaii h la Lauitianr (Nsn Orleans, Ir31): Ij Paqi dd Pkatt, HitloiTe di la Louiiinnt ([i vob.. PHtia. 1TS8): Dauom, Mimoiret HitUrrmtn tor la iMviaiant (PariB, 1783); CBARLKVoti.Joumal d'wi VoMogt daoi iAmfrumc Sty- laitnonaU. VI (Paris, 1744): Gratieb. RrtalUm du Voyagt dn CAvuIiiwi (Paris. 1872): LAnivMT. M^motnn (Pmi. IS.^)); Mar- m, Hitani ot Louitiana (Z vob.. New Orlrani, ltt27) : Monetti. Bilart oj A^ VaUtu at Ou, Mutisnpj}! (2 voh.. New York, 1846) ; GATAaai, HMom dt la Louiiianr {i vols.. Sew Orleans. 1846-7): Idem, HiHoiy of Loauiana (4 vola.. New OrlHua, 1864-a): Kaa. Sieur it BienpUU (New York. 1893): Hauii^ TOM, Colonial MobiU (BoatoD, 1S9S): Fobtieh. Louitiana Sluiui (New Orleana, 1894): Ideu, Huloni of Louuiana (4 voh.. Now York. 1004).

Alc6b Forties.

II. The State or Louisiana, lying at the mouth of the HissisBtppi River, was so named in honour of LouiaXIVinieSZ. Louisiana of the seventeen Ui cen- tury extended from the Miasissippi River to the Rocky Mountains, and from the Rio Grande and Gulf of Mexico to British America. The pres- ent 8tat« of Louisi- ana is bounded on the Boulh by the Gulf of Me.xi. the east SUte

sippi; on the west by the State of Texas, and on the north by the State oF Arkansas. The thirty-third par- allel of latitude forms the boundary between Louisiana and Arkansas.

-The area of the state is

46,4K) square miles, of which 232S are wa't«r surface. There is no very high IsJid in the state. The Red River enters the state from Texas a few miles south of tlie northern boundary, and traverses the whole state in a south-easterly direction, emptying itself Into the Mi^isaippi River at the thirty-nret parallel of lati- tude. The northern portion of Louisiana is mainly forest area with numerous small farms, but in the eastern portion, north of Red River an<l for some dis- tance south of its mouth, therearc large cottuu planta- tions on alluvial soil, while below the mouth of Red River stretches the sugar countr}', all the south-eastern portion of Louisiana with small exceptions being de- voted to sugar cultivation. In Che south-wcstcm portion are the great salt and sulphur mines, oil-wells, and rice fields. With means of communication from one part of the state to another, Louisiana is probably better provided than any other state in the Union. Within the borders of the state are 3771 miles of navi- gable water, and 6163 miles of railroad (including 2000 mites of side-tracks). The alluvial lands along the rivers and larger streams are protected by 1430 miles of embankments, locally called /eoees and r '

by the state.


 * of Misi

BmJJ. or LODUIIHA

Phytieal Characterwtia

2 Lounuiu

/luItutnM.— Agriculture is the chief naouro of Louisiana, although of late salt, oil, and sulphur an beginning to produce large retunu. The leport of the Louimana State Board of Afrioulture for ISOS, givei the agricultural output as foUows:

Total area undw cultintioD 4,730,148 mam

Cottrai fil7,7(Mbalai 1.84US0 **

Com 20.303.717 builuib 1,637,185 **

Suaar. 444,241.800 poondi 401,461 '

HoUaMa 31.M9/)S0 salkina

Clsuisd Rica. 170.096,700 pooDdi 37aj6B '

Sweat Potatoes.... 3.010.615 bualieh M.S21 "

Irish " .... 739345 " J7 J33 "

Orancea 100,440 tMiOi 2.900 "

The mineral products are chieBy sulphur, nit, and petroleum. The largest sulphur deposit in tils worid laat Sulphur Citv, whence 1000 tons daily are shipped. It is eatunated that there are forty million tons ofsut phur in this deposit. At Aveiy s Island is found ft deposit of pure salt, 5(X) tons daily being mined. Id this section the au^er went down l^W feet through salt. Large quantities of petroleum aie piped out of wells in the south-western and nortb-weotem peKe of the state.

History.— The history of Louisiana as a colony bns already been traced from the first settlemeote, and the growth of the population up to its admission to the Union. The cession of Louisiana W France to the United States took pl^ on 20 December, 1803, and in 1804 Congress organised the Territory of Orieans, which comprised a portion of the great district of Louisiana. In 1806 there were but 350 English cnieak* ing white men in New Orleans. Between 1806 and 1809, 3100 Americans arrived. In 1809-10 come the immigration from the West Indies, due to' the Santo Domingo and Haitian negro uprisings. In 1810 the Irinh l>cgHn to come, and they kept coming steadily for over forty years. The Civil War (1861^ stopped'aU immigration until about 1900, since which time Ital- ians are arriving in great numbers. The fint steam- boat, the "Orleans, from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, arrived in New Orleans, 10 January, 1812,

In 1811 Congress authoriied the uihabitants of the territorv to draw up a constitution, witji a view to establish a state government. This constitution was adopted in 1612, and immediately thereafter, on 30 AprU, 11^12, (^n^as admitted Louisiana into the Union. Almost simultaneously with her admission, the war with England broke out, and on 8 Janoary, 1815, the famous battle of New OrleBas, between 12,000 English soldiers under P&kenham and 6000 American recruits under General Andrew Jackson, was fought within a few miles of the oitv of New Of leans, resulting in the overwhelming oefeat of the British. The commercial position of New Orieans being very advantageous^ her ^wth was phenomenaL In 1840 she was the third city in popubtion in the United States, the Mississippi and its tributaries poui^ ingereat coramercialwealtnintoLouiaianB. However, as the railroads lie^n to be built, much of this river commerce was carried by them to northern and eastern marts. On 26 January, 1861, an ordinance of seoes- sion was passed, withdrawing Louisiana from the Union, and on 21 March, ISGl, the Convention of Louisiana ratified the Confederate Constitution and joined the Ck>nfederacy. The Civil War laid waste Louisiana in common with her sister states cit tbs south. In April, 1862, the city of New Orieans was captured by the Union forces. In 1864, under the auspices of the Federal troo^, a convention was held to draw up a new constitution for the state, prepara- tory to its re-admission to the Union Under Pedctal auspices it was ratified by a vote of the people in Sep- tember, 1864. This constitutbn, althou^ adopted under the auspices of the United States Government, was not satisfactoiy to that government, and in D^ cember, 1867, another convention was oalled and pre- pared a constitution that was adopted on 6 Hareh, 1868, whereby Louisiana was again admitted to ttM