French and Spanish Colonial Periods
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- Date Submitted: 04/27/2010 05:33 PM
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French and Spanish Colonial Periods
The colonial periods of the French and Spanish were handled very differently. The French tended to be stricter, while the Spanish were more generous and supportive. The Spanish were slightly less oppressive of slaves, and the social ways of the Spanish led to more “mixing” of people. The Spanish were more strategic and allowed cultural influence to flourish, while the French were more oppressive. Ultimately, all of these reasons directly relate to why the Spanish had a greater influence on Louisiana.
France had three major reasons for the founding of the Louisiana colony. The first reason was because had a rivalry between Great Britain and Spain, and both countries had established colonies in the Carolinas and at Pensacola. Secondly, France feared either England or Spain would move into the Mississippi River valley if they did not do it first. Protection was another major concern for France, who thought that a military base on the Gulf Coast would provide protection. Lastly, mercantilism was a major factor. The more gold and wealth a nation had, then the more powerful they could be, so the attempt to settle in Louisiana was for pure economic reasons.
King Louis XIV chose Sieur d’Iberville to lead the exploration, while his brother, Sieur de Bienville, served as lieutenant of the expedition. In 1699, the first permanent settlement was created on Biloxi Bay, in what is now Mississippi. Iberville then leaves Bienville in charge while he returns to France, and Bienville claims the first French settlement on the banks of the Mississippi River called Fort de la Boulaye. Problems arose when Iberville was called to fight in the French military, and in 1706, he died of yellow fever. Bienville then became the de facto civil and military commander of Louisiana. By 1709, Bienville was forced to move the main settlement to Mobile, Alabama, which is ironic because this means that the oldest two sites of French...
The colonial periods of the French and Spanish were handled very differently. The French tended to be stricter, while the Spanish were more generous and supportive. The Spanish were slightly less oppressive of slaves, and the social ways of the Spanish led to more “mixing” of people. The Spanish were more strategic and allowed cultural influence to flourish, while the French were more oppressive. Ultimately, all of these reasons directly relate to why the Spanish had a greater influence on Louisiana.
France had three major reasons for the founding of the Louisiana colony. The first reason was because had a rivalry between Great Britain and Spain, and both countries had established colonies in the Carolinas and at Pensacola. Secondly, France feared either England or Spain would move into the Mississippi River valley if they did not do it first. Protection was another major concern for France, who thought that a military base on the Gulf Coast would provide protection. Lastly, mercantilism was a major factor. The more gold and wealth a nation had, then the more powerful they could be, so the attempt to settle in Louisiana was for pure economic reasons.
King Louis XIV chose Sieur d’Iberville to lead the exploration, while his brother, Sieur de Bienville, served as lieutenant of the expedition. In 1699, the first permanent settlement was created on Biloxi Bay, in what is now Mississippi. Iberville then leaves Bienville in charge while he returns to France, and Bienville claims the first French settlement on the banks of the Mississippi River called Fort de la Boulaye. Problems arose when Iberville was called to fight in the French military, and in 1706, he died of yellow fever. Bienville then became the de facto civil and military commander of Louisiana. By 1709, Bienville was forced to move the main settlement to Mobile, Alabama, which is ironic because this means that the oldest two sites of French...