HISTORY. New Orleans was laid out in 1718 by .lean Baptiste Le 14;yne, Sieur 41e Bienville, then Governor of Louisiana, and it was named in honor of the Duke of Orleans. Regent of France. The centre of the new settlement was the old Place d'Armes, now callo41 Jackson Square. In 1722. when New Orleans beeame the capital of the French territory in this vicinity, its low, marshy site was visited by Pere Charle voix, who records in his journal that he found only a hundred barrack-like buildings, with a large wooden storehouse, and "two or three resi dences that would be no ornament to a village in France." With prophetic eye, however, he added: have a well-grounded hope that this wild and desert place. which the reeds and trees do yet almost wholly cover. will be one day—and per haps that day is not far distant—an opulent city and the metropolis of a great and rich colony." In November, 1762, France ceded the whole of Louisiana to Spain, but the people in New' Or leans, who first heard of the transaction in 1764, strenuously objected to the change and forcibly expelled the first Spanish Governor, who came in 1766. In 1769 Alexander O'Reilly (q.v.), who had just been appointed Governor of Louisi ana, punished with unsparing severity those who had been prominent in the uprising. In the same year the census taken by Governor O'Reilly shows that the city possessed only 468 houses. with a population of 3191. Of these the free persons numbered 1901, the slaves 1230, and the domesti eated Indians 60. During the rest of the Span ish period there was but slow growth, perhaps on account of the burdensome commercial restric tions of the Spanish r6gime. During the Ameri can Revolution New Orleans was the headquar ters of the Spanish forces on the North American continent, and the place from which a of expeditions were sent out by Governor Bernardo Galvez (q.v.) against the British. In 1800, by the secret Treaty of San Ildefonso (q.v.). L0164 :111:I was retroceded to France, but the French Government did not take formal possession until November 30. 1803, just twenty days before American deputies came to take possession for the rnited States in pursuance of the Louisiana Purchase. By this year the population had in creased to a little over 8000. In 1802 the prod ucts shipped from New Orleans consisted of Hour, 50,000 pounds; tobacco, 2000 hogsheads; cotton, 34,000 bales. Some 5000 casks of rum were pro
duced in the distilleries around the city, but the manufactures were mostly confined to cordage, hair-powder, vermicelli, and shot.
As for the government during the French and Spanish r6gime, the whole province was nomi nally- in the hands of a Superior Council. which was a judicial body and theoretieally a legisla tive one. In truth, however, this body, which was appointive. not elective, had very little power. All laws for Louisiana were made in France. There was no self-government either under the French or the Spanish. tinder the Spanish a Cabildo (assembly) was substituted for the Su oerior Council. It was composed of six per petual regidores, two ordinary alealdes, an at torney-general syndic, and a clerk. The Governor presided. By a curious provision, the offices of regidor and clerk were obtained by purchase. and in the first instance at auction. The ordinary alealdes and the attorney were elected annually by the Cabildo. The ordinary alealdes were judges within time city for criminal and civil eases. The regidores were the standard-bearer, the high sheriff, the receiver of fines, etc. There was an appeal from this tribunal to the Cap tain-General of Cuba, and from him to the Royal Audienee in Santo Domingo, and thence to the Council of the Indies in Madrid. As nnder the French, the laws were issued by the Governor in the name of the King. Even the police regulations were issued by the same In 1804, the year after the United States ob tained possession, President Jefferson said that "the position of New Orleans certainly destines it to be the greatest city the world has ever seen:" but the growth for many years, though rapid, (lid not conic up to the general expectations. In 1805 New Orleans was regularly incorporated, and the inhabitants elected a city council. This was the first occasion on which the right of public suffrage was ever exercised in Louisiana. Ameri cans now crowded into the newly acquired city. In the winter of 1806-07 wild rumors were abroad that Burr intended to make New Orleans the capital of a new empire. The city was placed under martial law by General Wilkinson. and it was some time before the excitement subsided.