Louisiana – The Pelican State – Legends of America (original) (raw)

Greetings from Louisiana Postcard. Available at Legends’ General Store.

Situated in the Deep South, Louisiana, the “Pelican State” has a colorful history and was named in honor of King Louis XIV.

A state with a varied and colorful past, Louisiana has been governed under ten different flags beginning in 1541 with Hernando de Soto’s claim of the region for Spain.

The original French colonists were soon joined by the Spanish and Acadians and later by French aristocrats fleeing slave revolts in the West Indies or the horrors of the French Revolution. As part of Louisiana’s French legacy, counties are called “parishes.” A decisive French influence is still evident throughout the state.

With the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, Louisiana became a territory of the United States and the eighteenth state on April 30, 1812.

Its capital is Baton Rouge, and its largest city is New Orleans, known for its Mardi Gras and jazz festivals.

Kathy R. Alexander
Owner/Editor, Legends of America

Louisiana Capitol in Baton Rouge by Carol Highsmith.