Louisiana History

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Brief History
The following important events in the history of Louisiana affected political boundaries, record keeping, and family movements.


 * 1714: The first settlement was established at Natchitoches.
 * 1717-1722: Forced immigration from France brought a few thousand settlers. A few thousand more, attracted by free land, came from German-speaking areas of Europe. The importation of African slaves began.
 * 1718: New Orleans was founded.
 * 1731: French crown colony
 * 1735: Chickasaw Indian Wars
 * 1755-1785: After they had been expelled from Nova Scotia, 5,000 French-speaking Acadians settled in Louisiana.
 * 1763: France ceded Louisiana to Spain, after the French and Indian War.
 * 1769: Spain took control of Louisiana and began new record-keeping procedures.
 * 1803: The Louisiana area was purchased by the United States from France. Although France owned Louisiana between 1800
 * 1803 it was still administered by Spain until just before the United States took possession.
 * 1804: The territory was divided, using the 33rd parallel as the boundary. The northern portion became the District of Louisiana, and the southern portion became the Territory of Orleans.
 * 1805-1807: (March 3,) The Territory of Orleans was divided into counties, but the functions of the counties were soon taken over by smaller civil divisions called parishes, which followed the boundaries of the old Spanish ecclesiastical parishes.
 * 1810: Spanish West Florida between the Mississippi and Pearl Rivers, including Baton Rouge, was occupied by the United States and became part of the Territory of Orleans.
 * 1812: ( April 30,) The Territory of Orleans became the state of Louisiana.
 * 1835: The Caddo Indians ceded their land in northwestern Louisiana a moved to the Brazos River area in Texas.
 * 1836-1837: Sabine Indian War
 * 1861: Louisiana seceded from the Union. It was readmitted in 1868.

Historical Content
Histories are great sources of genealogical information. Many contain biographical information about individuals who lived in the area, including:

Local Histories
Some of the most valuable sources for family history research are local histories. Published histories of towns, counties, and states usually contain accounts of families. They describe the settlement of the area and the founding of churches, schools, and businesses. You can also find lists of pioneers, soldiers, and civil officials. Even if your ancestor is not listed, information on other relatives may be included that will provide important clues for locating your ancestor. A local history may also suggest other records to search. Local histories are extensively collected by the Family History Library, public and university libraries, and state and local historical societies.


 * A Bibliography of American County Histories


 * United States Local Histories in the Library of Congress

State Histories Useful to Genealogists
Good genealogists strive to understand the life and times of their ancestors. In this sense, any history is useful. But certain kinds of state, county, and local histories, especially older histories published between 1845 and 1945, often include biographical sketches of prominent individuals. The sketches usually tend toward the laudatory, but may include some genealogical details. If these histories are indexed or alphabetical, check for an ancestor's name. Some examples for the State of Louisiana are:


 * Louisiana: A Narrative History


 * A History of Louisiana

United States History
The following are only a few of the many sources that are available:


 * The Almanac of American History, This provides brief historical essays and chronological descriptions of thousands of key events in United States history.


 * Dictionary of American History, Revised ed This includes historical sketches on various topics in U.S. history, such as wars, people, laws, and organizations. A snippet view is available at Google books.


 * Webster's Guide to American History: A Chronological, Geographical, and Biographical Survey and Compendium  This includes a history, some maps, tables, and other historical information.


 * Writings on American History Has the full text available at Google Books

To find more books and articles about Louisiana's history use the Internet Google search for phases like "Louisiana history." Family History Library Catalog Surname Search lists many more histories under topics like:
 * LOUISIANA - HISTORY
 * LOUISIANA, [COUNTY] - HISTORY
 * LOUISIANA, [COUNTY], [TOWN] - HISTORY
 * LOUISIANA, BIBLIOGRAPHY