FRENCH INTERIM PERIOD (1803) TERRITORIAL PERIOD (1803 - 1812) |
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FRENCH INTERIM PERIOD (1803) TERRITORIAL PERIOD (1803 - 1812) |
1766-1768Antonio de Ulloa (Ulloa was the first Spanish governor of Louisiana, and served under King Charles III. The French colonists rebelled against Spanish authority in 1768 and demanded his departure. He soon sailed to Havana, Cuba.) |
1769-1770Alejandro O'Reilly (King Charles III appointed O'Reilly to quell the rebellion of 1768. In his brief administration, he reorganized the colony and emphasized fairness to anxious French colonists uneasy about Spanish rule.) |
1770-1777Luis de Unzaga y Amezaga (Unzaga was appointed by O'Reilly who left in 1770, and served under King Charles III. He continued policies to strengthen ties between French colonists and Spanish administrators.) |
1777-1785Bernardo de Galvez (Galvez served under Charles III and improved upon Unzaga's policies. He worked to increase commerce and trade. When Spain declared war against England, he supplied Americans with arms, and captured all British posts in West Florida, which gave Spain the possession of both East and West Florida after the war.) |
1782-1792Esteban Rodriguez Miro y Sabater (Miro served under Charles III and Charles IV. He was an interim governor while Galvez was in Cuba from 1782 to 1785, and was appointed Governor in 1785. During his term, Spain allowed trade with France and the French West Indies and removed the duty on ships for two years which contributed to the development of New Orleans as an international port.) |
1791-1797Francoise-Louis Hector, Baron de Carondelet et Noyelles (Carondelet served under King Charles IV. A native of France, he was also a loyal Spanish army officer and governor who had the ironic distinction of ensuring that the French Revolution did not spread to Louisiana.) |
1797-1799Manuel Gayoso de Lemos y Amorin (Gayoso was appointed by Charles IV because of his ability to speak English and his knowledge of colonial politics. He died from yellow fever in 1799.) |
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1799-1801 Sebastian Calvo de la Puerta Y O'Fariel, Marqui de Casa Calvo (No known image of this governor exists. Casa Calvo was appointed by Charles IV as an interim governor after Gayoso's death. He was a Spanish army officer and native Cuban who governed during the tumultuous times--Spain and America were in conflict over free navigation of the lower Mississippi River; and Napoleon tried to force the return of Louisiana to France.) |
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1801-1803 Juan Manuel de Salcedo (No known image of this governor exists. Salcedo served under Charles IV and battled his government over the rights of Americans to navigate freely down the Mississippi River below Natchez. He left for a post in the Canary Islands after he officially transferred the colony to France on November 30, 1803.) |
1803Pierre Clement de Laussat (Laussat came to Louisiana as Napoleon's representative before the transfer from Spain to France. His role was to prepare for the new French governor, General Claude Victor. He served as interim governor from November 30 to December 20, 1803. Within weeks, Napoleon changed his mind and ordered negotiations to sell the territory to the United States. ) |
1803-1812William C. C. Claiborne - Democrat/Republican (President Thomas Jefferson sent Mississippi Territorial Governor William C. C. Claiborne to New Orleans to formally accept the transfer of Louisiana from France to the United States. Claiborne was assisted by Gen. James Wilkinson in administering the terri- tory until he was named as the first Governor of the Territory of Orleans which is now the state of Louisiana. Claiborne held the office of Territorial Governor through the admission of Louisiana to the Union in 1812. |