Louisiana Territory
Not to be confused with the
Territory of Orleans, the organized incorporated territory that became the State of Louisiana in 1812.
The Territory of Louisiana or Louisiana Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1805 until June 4, 1812, when it was renamed to Missouri Territory. It was formed out of part of the lands acquired by the United States in the Louisiana Purchase, in which French Louisiana was bought from France.
The Eighth Congress of the United States on March 26, 1804, passed legislation entitled "An act erecting Louisiana into two territories, and providing for the temporary government thereof",[1] which established Territory of Orleans and the civil District of Louisiana. This act, effective October 1, 1804, expanded the authority of the Governor and Judges of Indiana Territory in order to provide temporary jurisdiction over the District of Louisiana.
On March 3, 1805, Congress enacted legislation organizing the District of Louisiana into the Louisiana Territory, effective July 4, 1805. This territorial government was organized similarly to that of the Indiana Territory.[2]
The Louisiana Territory included everything in the Louisiana Purchase north of the 33rd parallel (the southern boundary of the present state of Arkansas). The southern and western boundaries with Spanish Texas and New Mexico were not fully defined until the Adams–Onís Treaty of 1819. The seat of government was St. Louis.
Both Meriwether Lewis (1807–1809) and William Clark (1813–1820) served as territorial governors of the Louisiana Territory.
The Louisiana Territory had five subdivisions St. Louis District, St. Charles District, Ste. Genevieve District, Cape Girardeau District and New Madrid District. In 1806, the territorial legislature created the District of Arkansas from lands ceded by the Osage Nation. The remainder was known as the Upper Louisiana Territory.
On October 1, 1812, Governor Clark organized the five administrative districts of Upper Louisiana Territory into counties, which later became the first five counties of Missouri Territory. In 1818, Franklin and Jefferson counties were formed out of the original St. Louis County, leaving St. Louis County with the land that today comprises St. Louis County and St. Louis.
On June 4, 1812, the Twelfth U.S. Congress enacted legislation that renamed the Louisiana Territory as the Territory of Missouri to avoid confusion with the recently admitted state of Louisiana.[3]
See also
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History portal |
- Historic regions of the United States
- History of Missouri
- Territorial evolution of the United States
- Territories of Spain that encompassed land that would later become part of the Territory of Louisiana:
- Territory of France that encompassed land that would later become part of the Territory of Louisiana:
- U.S. territories that would later become part of the Territory of Louisiana:
- U.S. territories that included territory that was previously part of the Territory of Louisiana:
- Territory of Missouri, 1812–1821
- Territory of Arkansaw, 1819–1836
- Indian Territory, 1834–1907
- Territory of Iowa, 1838–1849
- Territory of Minnesota, 1849–1858
- Territory of New Mexico, 1850–1912
- Territory of Kansas, 1854–1861
- Territory of Nebraska, 1854–1867
- Territory of Colorado, 1861–1876
- Territory of Dakota, 1861–1889
- Territory of Montana, 1864–1889
- Territory of Wyoming, 1868–1890
- Territory of Oklahoma, 1890–1907
- U.S. states that include territory that was once part of the Territory of Louisiana:
- State of Missouri, 1821
- State of Arkansas, 1836
- State of Texas, 1845
- State of Iowa, 1846
- State of Minnesota, 1858
- State of Kansas, 1861
- State of Nebraska, 1867
- State of Colorado, 1876
- State of North Dakota, 1889
- State of South Dakota, 1889
- State of Montana, 1889
- State of Wyoming, 1890
- State of Oklahoma, 1907
- State of New Mexico, 1912
- Territorial evolution of Canada
References
- ^ "An act erecting Louisiana into two territories, and providing for the temporary government thereof". United States Statutes at Large. Eighth Congress, Session I, Chapter 38, March 26, 1804, pg. 283–289. From Library of Congress, A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774–1875. (accessed December 14, 2008)
- ^ "An Act further providing for the government of the district of Louisiana". United States Statutes at Large. Eighth Congress, Session II, Chapter 31, March 3, 1805, pg. 331–332. From Library of Congress, A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774–1875. (accessed December 14, 2008)
- ^ "An Act providing for the government of the territory of Missouri". United States Statutes at Large. Twelfth Congress, Session I, Chapter 95, June 4, 1812, pg. 742–747. From Library of Congress, A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774–1875. (accessed December 14, 2008)
External links