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The Historic New Orleans Collection

Building a City: the Founding of New Orleans

Grades 6–8

Historic map of New Orleans, titled Plan de la Nouvelle Orléans, dated February 1, 1721. It shows a detailed grid layout of streets and plots, with a river at the bottom and a compass rose indicating direction.

This lesson was created for use in a French immersion school following both the French national curriculum and the Louisiana one. English translation is provided here. Through the analysis and comparison of a series of plans and illustrations of New Orleans (three maps dating from the 1720s to 1731), students will formulate hypotheses about the strategic importance of the city in the context of the French colonization of Louisiana.

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Books

New Orleans, the Founding Era

Historical painting depicting the founding era of New Orleans. The scene includes sailors, Indigenous people, and European settlers alongside a ship. The title, New Orleans, the Founding Era, appears at the top in English and French.

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Exhibitions

French Quarter Galleries

Ongoing

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