What Was Louisiana Called Before It Became a State?

Let's explore the names and historical phases that defined Louisiana before its statehood.

Land of the Houma, Caddo, Chitimacha, and Other Nations

For thousands of years before European arrival, the fertile lands and bayous of what is now Louisiana were home to numerous Native American peoples. These diverse groups lived along the rivers and coast, developing unique cultures adapted to the region's rich environment.

Some prominent tribes included:

• Houma: A Muscogee-speaking people, from whom the city of Houma takes its name. Their tribal symbol is the crawfish.
• Caddo: Living in the northwestern part of the state, known for their complex mound-building societies.
• Chitimacha: An ancient tribe residing in the wetlands of the southern part of the state.
• Tunica, Attakapa, Natchez, and Choctaw: All had significant presence and influence across various parts of the region.

The name "Louisiana" itself, as we will see, is a European imposition, not indigenous.

French Louisiana: Louisiane

The first Europeans to extensively explore the region were the French. In 1682, René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, became the first European to navigate the Mississippi River from the Great Lakes all the way to its mouth. He claimed the entire vast river basin for France, naming it "Louisiane" (Louisiana) in honor of King Louis XIV.

This enormous territory stretched from the Appalachian Mountains to the Rocky Mountains, and from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. For over a century, the land that would become the state of Louisiana was the heart of this vast French Louisiana.

French colonization efforts intensified in the early 18th century. In 1718, Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville founded Nouvelle-Orléans (New Orleans) at a strategic crescent bend of the Mississippi River. New Orleans quickly became the capital and most important city of French Louisiana, a vital port connecting the interior of North America to the Caribbean and Europe.

Spanish Louisiana (Luisiana)

Following their defeat in the French and Indian War (Seven Years' War), France secretly ceded Louisiana to Spain in the Treaty of Fontainebleau (1762) to prevent it from falling into British hands. This transfer was formalized in the Treaty of Paris (1763), which also saw Britain gain all French territory east of the Mississippi (except New Orleans).

From 1762 to 1800, the region that would become the state of Louisiana was the core of Spanish Louisiana (Luisiana). Spanish rule brought new laws, architectural styles (still visible in New Orleans' French Quarter, which was largely rebuilt under Spanish rule), and a relaxed immigration policy that encouraged Anglo-Americans and other Europeans to settle. This period also saw the arrival of the Acadians (later known as Cajuns) from Nova Scotia, who settled in the bayous and prairies of south Louisiana.

Brief Return to French Control (1800-1803)

In a strategic move, Napoleon Bonaparte pressured Spain to secretly return Louisiana to France in 1800, under the Treaty of San Ildefonso. Napoleon had grand plans to re-establish a vast French empire in North America. However, a combination of factors, including the Haitian Revolution (which drained French resources and workforce) and the impending war with Great Britain, led him to reconsider.

The Louisiana Purchase: District of Louisiana / Orleans Territory

Seeing an opportunity and needing funds, Napoleon offered to sell the entire Louisiana Territory to the United States. In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson orchestrated the Louisiana Purchase, an enormous land deal that doubled the size of the U.S. The part of the purchase that would become the state of Louisiana was initially administered in two sections:

• The vast northern portion (everything north of the 33rd parallel) became the District of Louisiana (1804-1805), then the Louisiana Territory (1805-1812), and finally the Missouri Territory.
• The more populated southern portion, including New Orleans, was organized as the Territory of Orleans (1804-1812). This was the direct predecessor to the state of Louisiana, with New Orleans as its capital.

During the territorial period, the region grappled with the transition from French and Spanish civil law to Anglo-American common law, cultural differences, and questions of self-governance.

Statehood

With a growing and diverse population, the Territory of Orleans began its push for statehood. A constitutional convention was held, and a state constitution was drafted.

On April 30, 1812, President James Madison signed the bill admitting Louisiana to the Union as the 18th state. The name "Louisiana," a legacy of its French colonial past, was retained for the new state.