Founding of Louisiana Territory
In the year 1682 the explorer Rene Robert Cavelier had adventured from Canada to the Mississippi River Valley.
All the area he had explored he named it Louisiana, after King Louis XIV.
Its location made it highly desirable to European powers.
The territory controlled the Gulf Coast region and the mouth of the Mississippi River.
It contains ports for transporting goods.
The owner of this land could earn large a amount of money by charging fees for all shipments entering and leaving the ports, France’s King Louis XIV realized the importance of the Louisiana Territory.
He ordered colonies he just started there to protect the land from other countries.
In 1718 French men had established many settlements along the Gulf Coast including New Orleans.
New Orleans proved to be a valuable port near the mouth of the Mississippi, and it quickly grew larger to become the biggest settlement.