A low country on the Gulf coastal plain and the Mississippi alluvial plain,
Louisiana rises in uplands near Arkansas only to some 535 ft (163 m). The Mississippi dominates the many waterways, but there are
other rivers (e.g., the Red River, the Ouachita, the Atchafalaya, and the
Calcasieu) and the coast is threaded by many slow-moving bayous (e.g., the
Teche, the Macon, and the Lafourche). There are lagoons such as Lake
Ponchartrain, oxbow lakes made by Mississippi River cutoffs, and other lakes
where the slow streams are clogged.
Louisiana has a rich, colorful historical background. Early Spanish explorers
were Alvárez Piñeda, 1519; Álvar Núñez Cabeza
de Vaca, 1528; and Hernando de Soto in 1541. Sieur de la Salle reached the mouth
of the Mississippi and claimed all the land drained by it and its tributaries
for Louis XIV of France in 1682. Louisiana became a French crown colony in 1731 but was ceded to Spain in 1763
after the French and Indian Wars. (The portion east of the Mississippi came
under British control in 1764.) Louisiana reverted to France in 1800 and was
sold by Napoleon to the U.S. in 1803. The southern part, known as the territory
of Orleans, became the state of Louisiana in 1812. During the Civil War, Louisiana joined the Confederacy, but New Orleans was
captured by Union Adm. David Farragut in April 1862. The state's economy
suffered during Reconstruction; however, the situation improved at the turn of
the 20th century, with the discovery of oil and natural gas and the growth of
industry.
Plantation homes are to Louisiana what the crown jewels are to England-each
is a sparkling gem, in an equally spellbinding setting, with a unique story
attached. Each home gives you an intimate glimpse into the daily lives of this
fascinating period in history. You'll find ornate dining rooms with lovely china
laid out exactly as it would have been for a party before the Civil War; austere
portraits of the original owners of the homes hung above the fireplaces and
nurseries complete with vintage christening gowns draped at the end of mini
sleigh beds. But perhaps more interesting are the tales you'll hear of
star-crossed lovers, Confederate spies, yellow fever victims, mad spinsters, and
the occasional playful ghost.
Other major points of interest include the Superdome in New Orleans, historic
plantation homes near Natchitoches and New Iberia, Cajun country in the
Mississippi Delta Region, Chalmette National Historic Park, and the state
capital at Baton Rouge.
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