As before mentioned, although De Soto, a Spaniard first took possession of the Mississippi Valley for his Government, Spain died not establish her title to it by following up the proclamation with immediate settlements, and the country fell into the hands of France, by whose agent it was named “Louisiana.”

     By the treaty of Utrecht, France ceded to England her possessions in Hudson’s Bay, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, but retained Canada and Louisiana. In 1711 this province was placed in the hands of a governor-general, with headquarters at Mobile, for the purpose of applying a new policy for the settlement and development of the country. The very next year another change was made, placing all this territory in the hands of Anthony Crozat, a wealthy merchant of Pairs, but this scheme also failed, as Spain continued to obstruct the efforts of any Frenchman to establish trade, by closing the ports against him. In 1717 John Law appeared on the scene with his famous “Mississippi Company,” as the Louisiana branch of the Bank of France; and as his roseate scheme promised to do much in raising crippled France upon a surer footing, extended powers and privileges were granted him. He was to be practically a viceroy, and the life of his charter was fixed at twenty-five years. But in 1720, when the “Mississippi bubble” was at the height of its splendor, it suddenly collapsed, leaving the mother country in a far worse condition than before.

     Heretofore Louisiana had been a subordinate dependence, under the jurisdiction of the Governor-General of Canada. Early in 1723 the province of Louisiana was erected into an independent Government, and it was divided into nine districts, for civil and military purposes.

     Characteristic of human nature, the people were more excited with prospects of finding enormous wealth ready at hand, if they should continue to scour the country, which they did in places as far west as the Rocky Mountains, to the neglect of their agricultural and domestic interests. A habit of roaming became fixed. At the same time their exposed condition was a constant temptation to Indian rapine, and the Natchez tribe in 1873 made a general assault upon the whites. At first they were repulsed, but about five years afterward, aided by the Chickasaws and others, they fell upon the French village of St. Catharine and massacred the whole male population. Two soldiers, who happened to be in the woods, alone escaped to New Orleans, to bear the news. The colonies on the Yazoo and the Washita suffered the same fate. Maddened by these outrages, the whites turned upon the Natchez and in the course of three years exterminated them. They were probably the most intelligent tribe of Indians north of Mexico.

     During the fifteen years from 1717 to 1732 the province increased in population from 700 to 5,000, and in prosperity to a wonderful degree. It remained under royal governors until 1764, the end of the French dominion. Most of this time the Indians were troublesome, and in 1754 began the long “French and Indian war” with England, which resulted in favor of the latter, that Government obtaining all of New France, Canada, and the eastern half of Louisiana. This province did not suffer by being the scene of battle, but did suffer a great deal from a flood of irredeemable paper money. In the meantime the western portion, or residue, of this province was secretly promised to Spain; but before either of the foreign powers had opportunity to rejoice long in their western possessions, a new power on earth, the United States, took independent possession of all the country except Louisiana and Florida, which it has maintained ever since. During the seventy years of French control the province of Louisiana increased in population from a few destitute fishermen to a flourishing colony of 13,540.

     St. Louis, Missouri, was started in 1764.

     Don O’Reilly, the new Governor of Louisiana in 1764, ruled with a despotic hand, yet for the general advantage of the people. His successor, Don Antonio Maria Bucarelly, was mild, and he was succeeded January 1, 1777, by Don Bernard de Galvez, who was the last Governor. He sympathized with American independence. The British, with 140 troops and 1,400 Indians, invaded Upper Louisiana from the north by way of the Straits of Mackinaw, and invested St. Louis, Missouri, in 1780, but were driven off. When the Indians was that they were led to fight ”Americans” as well as Spaniards, they found that they had been deceived, and withdrew from the British army, and thus General George R. Clark, in behalf of the Americans, easily defended St. Louis, and also all the new settlements in this western country.

     After the Revolutionary war the country began again to prosper. Governor Galvez, by a census, ascertained that Louisiana had in 1785 a population of about 33,000, exclusive of Indians. In the summer of the latter year Don Estavan Miro became Governor pro tem, of the Spanish possessions in this country and was afterward confirmed as such by the king. During his administration a vain attempt was made by the Catholics to establish the inquisition at New Orleans. He was succeeded in 1792 by Baron De Carondelet, and during his term the Spanish colonies grew so rapidly that the Government became jealous of the United States and sought to exclude all interference from them in domestic affairs; but all efforts in this direction were ended in 1795 by the treaty of Madrid, which, after some delay and trouble, was fully carried out in 1798.

     Under the leadership of Livingston and Monroe, the United States Government, after various propositions had been discussed by the respective powers, succeeded in effecting, in 1803, a purchase of the whole of Louisiana from France for $11,250,000, and all this country west of the great river consisted of the “Territory of Orleans” (now the State of Louisiana) and the “District of Louisiana” (now the States of Arkansas, Missouri and Iowa, and westward indefinitely). The latter was annexed to the Territory of Indiana for one year, and in 1805 it was erected into a separate Territory, of the second class, the legislative power being vested in the Governor and judges. Before the close of the year it was made a Territory of the first class, under the name of the “Territory of Louisiana,” the Government being administered by the Governor and judges. The first Governor was James Wilkinson, and he was succeeded near the close of 1806 by colonel Merriweather Lewis, the seat of Government being at St. Louis; and during his administration of the Territory was divided into six judicial districts or large counties — St. Charles, St. Louis, St. Genevieve, Cape Girardeau, New Madrid and Arkansas. In 1810 the population of Louisiana Territory was 21,000, five-sevenths of whom were in Arkansas.

     In 1812 the State of Louisiana was admitted into the Union, and then it was deemed expedient to change the name of the Territory. It was accordingly given the name of “Missouri Territory,” which it retained until the admission of the State of Missouri in 1821.

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