Library of Congress

The Louisiana of today bears little resemblance to the vaguely defined territory acquired by the United States from France in 1803 for $15 million. At the time of the Louisiana Purchase no one could present any maps or documents that delineated the boundaries of the province with reasonable accuracy. As a result of that uncertainty, the United States was more or less free to advance its claims beyond the Mississippi River on terms favorable to its own interests. Louisiana as a province had a colorful and dramatic history in its roles as a European colony, a pawn in European diplomacy, and a territory coveted by the young United States. Over the centuries Louisiana has represented various possibilities to different interested nationalities-both geographically and politically. To the Spanish, Louisiana formed their northernmost borderland in an empire stretching from Buenos Aires to California. For the French, whose ambitions envisioned a North American colony encompassing the entire Mississippi Valley and the Great Lakes Region into Canada, Louisiana and its immense resources held out a great deal of promise, but in reality offered very little in return. For the British, Louisiana represented a challenge to Spain's authority in the Mississippi Valley. Louisiana's boundaries periodically were shifted and redrawn to suit circumstances of empire. The first officially sanctioned geographic and political limits associated with the Louisiana Purchase were not laid down until the state of Louisiana was admitted to the union in 1812-the first state carved out of the Purchase as well as the first state west of the Mississippi. The one prominent feature of Louisiana upon which all powers agreed as being both markedly fixed and of utmost significance for advancing national interests further west was the Mississippi River. The largest and most important river in North America, the Mississippi held the key to controlling the vast interior of the continent. Indeed, the boundaries of the Louisiana Purchase recognized today are formed by the western watershed of the Mississippi River in its entirety. Because diplomacy and accepted standards failed to define Louisiana in the early 19th century, the Mississippi and its tributaries delimit it. Spanish explorers sailed along Louisiana's coast as early as 1520 and encountered the Mississippi River for the first time on land in 1542. The Spanish, however, never gained a foothold in the region. Nearly a century and a half later, in 1682, the famous French explorer Ren Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, descended the Mississippi to its mouth and by right of discovery promptly claimed the entire region for Louis XIV of France (reigned 1643-1715). Not long thereafter, in 1699, a permanent French colony was planted on the Gulf Coast. Proving unprofitable for the French Crown, control of the colony was transferred successively to the merchant Antoine Crozat and to the Scottish financier John Law. Under the latter, the colony experienced some development, such as the founding of New Orleans in 1718 and the introduction of slaves from Africa. In 1731, beset by Indian wars and continuing economic losses, the company returned Louisiana to Louis XV (reigned 1715-74), under whom it remained for the next three decades.

""Image Of America: Early Photography, 1839-1900"" is a captivating book that showcases the earliest photographic images of America. The book is a product of the Library of Congress, and it features a collection of historic photographs that capture the essence of America in the mid-19th century. The photographs in the book are organized thematically, and they cover a wide range of subjects, including landscapes, architecture, people, and events. The book also provides a historical context for each photograph, giving readers a deeper understanding of the time period in which they were taken. The images are reproduced in high-quality, and they are accompanied by informative captions that provide additional context and insight. ""Image Of America: Early Photography, 1839-1900"" is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of photography or the history of America. This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.