April 30 – Anniversary of Louisiana's Statehood

nPostednon April 30, 2016

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nMostnpeople who grow up in the U.S. know that “the Louisiana Purchase”n– made by the U.S. government led by then-President ThomasnJefferson – bought from France a lot more than the current statenof Louisiana! n

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Actually,nit was James Monroe, special envoy to Napoleon, and Robert R.nLivingston, U.S. Minister to France, who took advantage of France’snsurprising offer of more than 800 thousand square miles of territory,nincluding the vital port city of New Orleans.

nIt was such a good dealn(about 3 cents an acre) that Monroe and Livingston felt that theyncouldn’t even wait for presidential approval for the purchase.

nThe two men had gone to France to offer up to 10 million dollars for the city ofnNew Orleans and a bit of surrounding land – and they came back withnan agreement to trade $15 million dollars for enough land to double the sizenof the country!

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nItnwas on this date in 1803 that they closed the deal. So it is verynappropriate that this date was chosen, in 1812, for the state ofnLouisiana (which had formerly been called the Territory of Orleans)nto join the union. n

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nWhynare Louisiana and New Orleans so important?

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nEspeciallynin the olden days, the Mississippi River was crucial for moving cropsnand goods through the U.S. and to the world. And the Mississippinempties into the Gulf of Mexico at New Orleans.

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nBecausenof that fact, Louisiana promoters say things like, “Much of thenworld’s food, coffee, and oil pass through the Port of New Orleans.”

New Orleans is connected to 14,500 miles of inland waterways!

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nWithnits colonization by Spain and France, with its large number of NativenAmerican tribes, with its large population of African-Americans, andnwith the post-Civil War emphasis on Anglicization (promotion of thenEnglish language, for instance), New Orleans has a vibrant mix ofncultures and architecture and is famous for its cuisine (for example,ngumbo, jambalaya, crawfish, beignets, and po-boys) and musicn(especially jazz). Its also famous for Mardi Gras!

nLearnnmore at Louisiana Fun (Facts.com).

nHere are some New Orleans highlights:

My two TOP favorites things about New Orleans are:
(1) beignets at Cafe du Mond, above, and
(2) the art galleries, especially those on Royal Street.

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The two most famous things about New Orleans have to be:
(1) jazz music, which was invented in New Orleans, above, and
(2) Mardi Gras festivities, below.

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The architecture of New Orleans is wonderful and varied.
I stayed in a wonderful apartment like the one pictured here, above
– and I loved listening to the saxophone player in Jackson
Square as we sat on the balcony!

Also, I enjoyed the green-green parks, cemeteries, and
yards, and all the charms of the Old South.

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