History
Early Exploration
Before the first colonial settlement in 1682, Spanish and French explorers visited the territory that would become Louisiana.
Era of Exploration
Era of Exploration Index
6.8 a.-b., 6.9 g.-h., 6.10 a.-c. Early Exploration and Colonization
In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, several expeditions explored the area that would later become known as Louisiana.
History
Father Paul Du Ru
A Jesuit priest was the first to establish Catholic missions among the Indigenous peoples of the Gulf South.
History
French Colonial Louisiana
The period of French colonial control of Louisiana dates from 1682 to 1800.
6.10 a.–d. French Colonial Louisiana
The era of French control over Louisiana was marked by many challenges, including hurricanes and conflicts with Native American groups like the Natchez.
Archaeology
Historical Archaeology in Louisiana
Archaeologists at sites across Louisiana help fill in the written record through physical excavations of the past.
8.17 c. Hurricanes in Louisiana
Louisiana hurricanes have played an essential role in the state’s history as recorded from colonization through the present.
Disasters
Hurricanes in Louisiana
Louisiana hurricanes have played an essential role in the state’s history from colonization through the present and are as memorable as the places and people they impact.
Government, Politics & Law
Indigenous Slavery
Indigenous people were enslaved alongside enslaved African people as domestic and agricultural laborers, guides, interpreters, hunters, sexual companions, and wives in colonial Louisiana.
Peoples of Louisiana
Ishak Indigenous People
The Ishak are an Indigenous people who have lived in southwest Louisiana and southeastern Texas since precolonial times.
Government, Politics & Law
Jean-Michel de Lépinay
Jean-Michel de Lépinay served as the fifth governor of Louisiana from 1717 to 1718.
Peoples of Louisiana
Jena Band of Choctaw Indians
The Jena Band of Choctaw Indians is one of four Louisiana tribes recognized by the federal government and one of fifteen recognized by the state.
