Chapter 8 Section 2

1. Chapter 8 Section 2 The Territorial Period

2. Territory of Louisiana • After Congress approved the Purchase, it planned the government for this vast new territory • Created two territories in March 1804 • The territory of Orleans-contained most of the present state of Louisiana • The District of Louisiana-the remaining area of the purchase

3. Governing the Territory • General James Wilkinson became the governor of the District of Louisiana • Capital (seat of government) was set in St. Louis • William C. C. Claiborne was appointed territorial governor of the Territory of Orleans

4. William C. C. Claiborne • 28 when he was given the governorship of the Territory of Orleans • a speaker of only English (could be a problem eh?) • Former governor of the Mississippi Territory-he has experience

5. Claiborne’s Problems to overcome • Spanish officials had not yet left Louisiana • Spanish governor went on a “hunting trip” when he actually went to the Texas/Louisiana border to stir up trouble with the Americans • When ordered to kick them out or good, Claiborne found land claims, unclear boundaries and lack of documentation to be at the top of the problems

6. The People in Louisiana • Claiborne had to convince the people in Louisiana to become American • French Creole were not eager to change because of their strong Catholic roots • French planters driven out of Haiti after the Haitian Revolt ended up in Louisiana and with them them brought their slaves, expecting to continue their plantation lifestyle-they associated with the French in Louisiana, not Americans • Free People of Color also fled Haiti, Former slaves who had purchased their freedom-all honoring the French heritage of Louisiana over Americanization

7. Free People of Color in Louisiana • Had regular jobs in the city like any white man or woman would have • Many were skilled workers; carpenters, masons, cigar makers, shoemakers, clerks, coopers, barbers, blacksmiths and butchers • This will drastically change when the territory becomes a state in which slavery become rampant

8. Can we govern ourselves? • Many people did want to become American as soon as possible • President Jefferson said that the people of Louisiana “were as incapable of self-government as children” • I think he was mostly referring to the fact the LA had never been able to have control of itself-to just throw citizens into self governing would be a bad thing-chaos? Anarchy?

9. The first Americans in Louisiana • Many were “Kaintucks”-westerners that spoke a strange language, a different culture from upriver. • This group of people was very rough, rowdy and violent • Giving the Louisianians a very bad impression of what an American was

10. Border Disputes • The huge piece of land of the Louisiana Purchase was largely unknown • Jefferson sent out expeditions to survey and to map the territory • The most famous was the Lewis and Clark Expedition • Another expedition was by Zebulon Pike in 1806 – to explore the southern border of the purchase area and to determine the source of the Red River • This way Spain and the U.S. can create borders and agree upon them

11. Settling border disputes • 1806 Spain and America established a neutral buffer zone between Texas and Louisiana • No troops from either countries army would be allowed to be in the neutral ground called the Sabine Strip • This area became a no man’s land, a lawless hideout for bandits and outlaw gangs to use as a headquarters, robbing traders as they passed through

12. The Burr Conspiracy • Aaron Burr a former vice president and killer of Alexander Hamilton saw that there was competition to control New Orleans • He felt if he could gain control of New Orleans he could regain power • He expected Spain to declare war to regain the very valuable port city • He began working secretly with the Spanish • Later he was found out and accused of planning his own empire by conspiring to steal land (New Orleans) from the United States Later arrested for treason for rebelling against his government

13. The West Florida Revolt • Western Florida was not included in the Louisiana Purchase, it remained Spanish • This included the “Florida Parishes” of present day Louisiana • Many Anglos lived in West Florida and hoped that the area would be included in the Louisiana Purchase (they could then be American) • In 1804 These Anglos planned to seize Fort San Carlos on the east side of the river at Baton Rouge, they failed at the attempt • 1810 , most of Spanish Florida was populated with Americans, they tried again after hearing of Spanish unrest with Napoleon • With 70 men the fort was easily captured and the revolt of the Americans on the Spanish was a success

14. The Great Slave Revolt of 1811 • After 1808 slaves could not legally be imported into the United States (the slave trade did not stop however) • After the LA Purchase, LA became a major plantation economy • By 1812 the slave population in LA was 35,000 • As the number of slaves increase, the unrest among them spread. • In 1811 a major slave uprising took place near present day town or Norco in St. Charles Parish • The leaders of the revolt organized the escaping slaves into companies complete with officers • They had no weapons except those they had fashioned from farm tools • Numbering several hundred, the slave marched along the river toward New Orleans • U.S. Army and Orleans Militia organized • Some slaves were killed other executed after being captured • Their heads were displayed on poles to remind other slaves of the punishment they could expect for revolting