French Louisiana New France-the North American territories claimed by France-once extended from Hudson Bay in present-day Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, and from the shores of the North Atlantic to the Great Plains. In 1682, the French claimed what came to be known as the Louisiana Territory or “La Louisiane,” an immense parcel of land named in honor of King Louis XIV.Quickly recognizing the possibilities for shipping at the Mississippi Delta (where the Mississippi River meets the Gulf of Mexico), the early settlers from France founded the city of New Orleans 17 years later. Engineers designed 66 squares of a walled village, naming the streets after French royalty.The streets they created—and named—comprise what is today known as the “French Quarter” section of New Orleans.The city quickly grew into a rich port city, shipping timber, minerals, agricultural products and, perhaps most notably, high-quality furs from the Mississippi Valley and the interior of the still-unexplored continent...
