The colony had never been autonomous. Indeed, French Louisiana only became
a separate government district in 1717; previously, it had been subordinate
to New France, in the same was as Illinois. Of course, between 1712 and
1731 the trade monopoly had been granted to the trading companies, but under
complete royal control, both militarily and administratively
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The powers vested
in the governor and the commander general were only powers under supervision.
In addition, the colony's internal relations-and especially those
between the colony and the homeland-were made long and difficult because
of distance. It took several weeks to a month to sail up or down the
Mississippi from the Arkansas River, travel between France and the
Gulf of Mexico meant 40 to 90 days at sea.
The military posts were all under the command of the Commander General,
whose headquarters first located in Biloxi, and then in New
Orleans. |
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Hyacinthe Rigaud, Louis XIV, Musée du Louvre,
© RMN, Hervé Lewandowski |
Most of the population and their activities were located
in Lower Louisiana, where the ports which linked the colony with France
were located. Illinois-a source for wheat and a territory for fur trading-contained
more loggers who negotiated with the Indians (and, against regulations,
with the English) than actual residents.
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The capital of Louisiana was first Biloxi, then Mobile and finally
New Orleans. New
Orleans contained the warehouses belonging to the trading companies,
then to the king; it was through these that transactions between the
colonists and France were carried out. It was also the center of all
kinds of traffic, in a colony that was frequently left to fend for
itself when Europe was at war. |
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Louisiana military divisions in 1721
CAOM, B 43, f° 11-40 (article 25) |
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