Louisiana (New Spain) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Spanish colonial Louisiana
Luisiana
|
|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of New Spain | |||||||||
| 1763–1801 | |||||||||
 Coat of arms
|
|||||||||
_orthographic_projection.svg) Spanish Louisana in 1762 |
|||||||||
| Capital | Nueva Orleans | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
| 10 February 1763 | |||||||||
| 21 March 1801 | |||||||||
| Political subdivisions | Upper Louisiana; Lower Louisiana |
||||||||
|
|||||||||
| Today part of |  Canada United States |
||||||||
Louisiana (in Spanish, Luisiana) was a large area of land in North America. It was controlled by Spain from 1763 to 1801. This territory was part of Spain's big empire called the Viceroyalty of New Spain.
The land was located west of the Mississippi River. It also included the important city of New Orleans. Spain received this territory from France. France had named it La Louisiane in 1682, honoring their King Louis XIV. Because Spain controlled it, people often called it Spanish Louisiana.
Later, the district was given back to France. This happened because of two agreements: the Third Treaty of San Ildefonso (in 1800) and the Treaty of Aranjuez (1801). In 1802, King Charles IV of Spain signed a special document. This document officially changed the transfer and explained the conditions.
However, Spain agreed to keep managing the colony for a little longer. They waited until French officials arrived to make the transfer official. This ceremony took place in New Orleans on November 30, 1803. This was only a few weeks before France sold the land to the United States in the famous Louisiana Purchase.
Images for kids
-
Señora de Balderes and her baby, a family from New Orleans during Spanish rule, painted around 1790.
See also
In Spanish: Luisiana española para niños
