In 1805, New Orleans was incorporated as a city and the people exercised their right of suffrage for the first time in electing aldermen. Between 1803 and 1810 the population more than doubled with the arrival of many whites, mulattoes and slaves from Cuba, Santo Domingo and other islands of the West Indies. The creoles of those islands had much in common with the creoles of Louisiana—many were of French ancestry, they had the same religion, language and political ideas, and had met with the same political misfortunes. The creoles were numerically so strong that they dominated the city.
On Jan. 1 0, 1812, the "New Orleans," a steam propelled vessel built by Nicholas Roosevelt, arrived on her maiden trip from Pittsburgh.
The War of 1812 found New Orleans without adequate de fences; Wilkinson was ordered to occupy that part of Florida west of the Perdido river; the Creek Indians massacred 35o whites at Ft. Mimms, Miss. ; drunken Choctaws roamed the streets of New Orleans; Barataria bay was held by the Lafittes and their band of piratical smugglers, who appeared daily in the city. Clai borne had great difficulty in raising the quota of 1,000 men called for by the President, but finally accomplished it. Congress ordered Jackson to proceed to New Orleans for its defence.
Commerce on the Mississippi was greatly stimulated by the advent of steam navigation. In 1817, 1,500 flat-boats and 500 barges brought the produce of the valley to New Orleans. Four years later 287 steamboats, 441 flat-boats and 174 barges moored along the water front of the city. The American section became the market for cotton, tobacco, pork, beef, corn and flour, while the old city retained control of coffee, indigo, sugar, rice, foreign fruits and wine. In the year 1825, the imports and exports of the city were valued at $17,000,000, and by 1835 at more than $53, 000,000, a part of the increase being due to the extraordinary rise of prices throughout the country. The population was cosmo politan. In 1815 it numbered 33,00o and in 1820 had advanced to 41,000. Commerce increased more rapidly than population because of the absence of manufacturing; between 1830 and 1840 trade advanced 75% and the population only 2o%.
In 1847-48 the exports of domestic products from New Orleans exceeded those of New York, although the total exports were less than those of the northern city; but imports at New Orleans were far less.
In 1842 receipts from the interior were valued at and in 1851 they had increased to $107,000,000. One tenth of the arrivals were now steamships. This trade was carried on in spite of the danger from bars on entering the river ; in the space of a few weeks, in 1852, 4o ships went aground at the entrance to the river. The terrible yellow fever epidemics of 1853-55 reduced
the volume of trade, which was regained, however, and a high water mark reached in 1857, to be followed by a financial crash which was disastrous to the business houses of New Orleans.
Louisiana seceded from the Union on Jan. 26, 1861. New Orleans was recognized as a strategic point by the authorities at Washington and two expeditions started to secure the Mississippi for the Union: Grant was to descend the river and Farragut and Butler were to ascend it. The city had sent 5,000 soldiers to the defence of the northern line of the Confederacy but the Southern Government seemed oblivious to the importance of holding New Orleans. While Grant was endeavouring to push his way down stream, Farragut was entering the river from the gulf with a fleet of 43 vessels. The assistance asked by Gen. Lovell could not be given by the Confederacy. An attempt was made to obstruct the passage of the Federal fleet by cables put across the river below the city, but New Orleans was captured by Farragut on April 25, 1862 and the city front blazed with the fire from thousands of bales of cotton and hogsheads of sugar and molasses which were burned to prevent their falling into the hands of the Federals.
Gen. Benjamin T. Butler with 15,000 soldiers took charge of the city on May f, 1862. Mayor Monroe was removed from office and a military commandant appointed in his place. The city council was replaced by the bureau of finance and the bureau of streets and landings. Butler's rule in New Orleans was execrated by the people of the city and he was removed before the year expired.
The Republican Congress decided that the Southern States should be regarded as conquered territory, reconstructed and ad mitted to the Union. First of all the new freemen were to be secured in the enjoyment of their citizenship and suffrage. The white men of the State were virtually deprived of the ballot by all the restrictions placed upon its exercise. In the wake of the war came a host of undesirables seeking fortunes by easy means. They became known as "carpet baggers," and their Southern friends and associates were known as "scalawags." In New Or leans they gained control of the city government through leader ship of the voting population—largely composed of the newly enfranchised negroes. The property of the city disappeared; extravagant expenditures reached $6,961,381 by 1872 and the bonded indebtedness $21,000,000, paying up to To% interest.