Louisiana as a Proprietorship

1
Louisiana as a Proprietorship

• Important Peoples of Section 3
• Antoine Crozat
• Antoine de Lamonthe
• Sieur de Cadillac
• Lois Juchereau de St. Denis

2
Chapter 6 Section 3

• Section Three - "Louisiana as a Proprietorship"
  (pp. 205-212) Vocabulary
• 1. proprietorship - a system that gave an
  individual a charter (or contract) to operate a
  colony as a business
• 2. Superior Council - a group existing during
  the French colonial period that was in charge of
  judicial matters and was presided over by the
  commissary commissioner (It was the government
  for French Louisiana.)
• 3. cash crop - a crop that is raised to make a
  profit Questions 1. Why did the French
  government try a proprietorship for the Louisiana
  colony? - It was broke and couldn't afford to
  run Louisiana. (Crozat was the first proprietor
  of Louisiana. He failed because he was only
  interested in making a profit for himself.) 2.
  Why did the structure of the French colonial
  government cause problems in the Louisiana
  colony?
• - The governor of the colony didn't have full
  control since the money was controlled by someone
  called the commissary commissioner. 3. What was
  the purpose of a trip by St. Denis to Texas? -
  St. Denis went to build up trade with the Spanish
  in Texas. He ended up establishing the town of
  Natchitoches. (Natchitoches is the oldest town
  in Louisiana and the area known as the Louisiana
  Purchase, founded in 1714.)

3
Louisiana as a Proprietorship

• 1701 Bienville became the leader of the colony
• The colony was so bad off the Bienville had to
  beg for food from the Spanish in Pensacola
• Iberville never returned to the colony, he left
  Europe for Louisiana but died of Yellow Fever
  before he reached the colony

4
Problems during the French Period

• Colonial officials quarreled because of the
  structure of the government
• The governor was usually a naval officer who was
  in charge of both military and general
  administration
• The colony had a business manager called the
  Commissionary Commissioner who was in charge of
  the budget and certain parts of the judicial
  system
• The power structure was not clear and required
  two officials to supervise each other which cause
  trouble between the two

5
After the War of Spanish Succession

• After the War of Spanish Succession, France put
  its attention back on its abandoned colony
• The French joined in the war and were just about
  bankrupt and Louisiana was too expensive to
  maintain
• France needed Louisiana though as a buffer
  against Britain
• British colonies were expanding South and West
  making the French uneasy

6
How can France Afford Louisiana?

• France needs a new source of funding
• King Louis decided to try a proprietorship to
  give a contract to operate the colony as a
  business
• The proprietor was given almost total control but
  had to meet certain requirements
• Send supplies and settlers to the colony
  regularly
• Follow the French laws

7
Antoine Crozat

• 1712, the French government gave the first
  proprietorship to Antoine Crozat
• Chosen because he loaned huge amounts of money to
  the French government for the war effort-Louis
  felt this man would be a good choice being how he
  helped during the war
• A businessman that had little interest in a
  colony or settler, rather he was driven by the
  possibility of finding gold in the colony

8
Crozat chooses a governor for his colony

• Antoine de Lamothe, Sieur de Cadillac was chosen
  to lead the colony
• Had trouble as a leader first by refusing to
  smoke te calumet with river tribes which was more
  than an insult, but to Native Americans it was a
  threat of war
• He also had a very unpleasant personality which
  many settlers and government officials of the
  colony did not like

9
Cadillacs good ideas

• 1712 Cadillac established a Superior Council to
  help govern the colony
• This council was in charge of judicial matters
• Suggested and implemented cash crops, such as
  indigo and tobacco

10
Fort St. Jean Baptiste

• Cadillac chose Louis Juchereau de St. Denis to
  establish a fort at present day Natchitoches
  (named for the Native American tribe)
• St. Denis was familiar with the natives and the
  land, he was also skilled in diplomacy and
  exploration
• Crozat and Cadillac were interested in a fort in
  Natchitoches to build a trade relationship with
  the Spanish that were close by
• Built at present day Natchitoches on the banks of
  the Red River in 1714

11
French and Spanish Friends?

• St. Denis asked to have a trade relationship with
  the Spanish colonies in Texas, but was told it
  was not allowed
• Spanish colonists traded, though they could have
  been jailed for this
• The French brought guns, ammunition, gun powder,
  work animals and liquor to trade
• The Spanish were interested mostly in medicine
  and the French were interested in getting to
  Spanish silver

12
A Struggling Colony

• Louis XIV dies in 1712 and government support for
  the colony died with him
• Problems began to overwhelm the colony
• Colonist not interested in agriculture
• Only trade was smuggling goods to the Spanish
• Colonists were not encouraged to make friends
  with the natives

13
Crozats Failure

• No profit was made from the colony more expenses
  than anything
• Never sent supplies to the colonists in the
  required amounts stated in the proprietorship
  contract
• Never found gold or silver in the colony, so his
  promised riches did not exist.
• 1717 Crozat surrendered his proprietorship
  charter back to the French government