Katrina: A Freight Train Screamin’ - Cary Black

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as the first settlement by the French for Colonial Louisiana.

      Iberville, Bienville and about 50 men, in 2 barges and a few canoes, followed the coast and entered the Mississippi on March 1st, 1699. With the aid of the Choctaw Indians, they traveled up to the ‘territory of the Houmas,’ some distance north of the site of the present city of Baton Rouge. On the way up the river, Iberville camped for a short time on or near the spot where the city of New Orleans had its beginnings. Bienville noted the advantages of the location and this impression was confirmed during years of constant passage back and forth between the Mississippi and Biloxi or Mobile. In 1718, Bienville founded, ‘on the most beautiful crescent of the river,’ a town, which he foresaw, would be the commercial capital of the Mississippi Valley. New Orleans was born. The early years of the city were troubled by storms and flooding. In 1719, the river rose to an ‘unprecedented height’ covering the new site with inches of water. In 1722, a hurricane destroyed 30 houses, the church, and the hospital.

      Louisiana became a French crown colony in 1731. In 1762, Louisiana was ceded to Spain as a result of the French and Indian War, and Great Britain gained control of Florida which extended to the east bank of the Mississippi. During this period Acadians, driven from Nova Scotia by the British, began migrating to Louisiana.

      During the eighteenth century, New Orleans struggled for identity. From French to Spanish to English domination, with each regime imparting its own character and politics, the city’s growth was slow and difficult. Differing social philosophies and cultural imperatives prevailed during each occupation, taking root, changing for the next, only to leave a continually evolving cultural dynamic.

      With the growing city surrounded by the marshes of the bayous and the river, New Orleans came to be an island to itself. Here lies the beginning of the blending and merging of diverse architecture, food, music, and art.

      In the 1790’s, with the emergence of the cotton gin, improvements in sugar refining processes, and the expansion of rice and tobacco crops, New Orleans became the hub for processing, distribution, and shipping of local goods throughout the country via the Mississippi River. Growth as a business center spurred even more diversity as it integrated modernity with the city’s proceeding historical socio-cultural precedents. With the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, New Orleans became part of the new United States. Annexation removed political and economic constraints to growth. Its population grew from 8,000 to approximately 170,000 by 1861. By 1830, New Orleans was America’s third largest city and the fifth largest city by 1860.

      In summary, in less than 100 years Louisiana had passed through 6 changes of government. Originally governed directly by the French crown, in 1712, Louis XIV ceded governorship to Antoine Crozat, Marquis du Châtel, a wealthy merchant. Later, in 1717 it was transferred to the Compagnie de l'Occident, presided over by the wealthy Scottish merchant and financier, John Law. Under Law’s edict, Bienville was made commander of the new settlement. In 1731, the Company ceded it back to the Government of France.

      Spain acquired the territory in 1762. In 1800, the King of Spain, under a secret treaty with Napoleon, relinquished the province back to France. The Americans eventually learned of the treaty and were alarmed that Napoleon was now in control of the Mississippi River. Thomas Jefferson initiated negotiations for the purchase of the territory, which occurred in 1803.

      At the beginning of the nineteenth century, New Orleans was reckoned one of the most important of North American seaports. In 1802, 158 American, 104 Spanish, and 3 French vessels sailed from the harbor. In the following year the import tonnage showed an increase from 35 to 37%.

      On March 25th, 1804, the United States Congress divided the Province of Louisiana into 2 parts: the upper part was annexed to the Indiana Territory, and the lower part, which corresponds in boundaries approximately to what is now the State of Louisiana became the Territory of Orleans.

      The Territory of Orleans’ government was entrusted to a governor, jointly with a council of 13 freeholders to be selected by him, with the judicial powers to be exercised by a superior court and other inferior courts as the council might establish. The judges of the former were to be appointed by the President of the United States.

      On October 1st, 1804, the new government went into operation. Thomas Jefferson appointed William Charles Cole Claiborne as governor. Various comments cited at the time suggested that the people were displeased at having the legislative council appointed rather than elected. Claiborne was tasked with introducing the forms of democratic government, and it was some years before the heterogeneous population of New Orleans could be regarded as fit to exercise all the functions of American citizenship. In February of 1805, the Territorial Council furnished the city with a charter.

      Thus, with the rule of 6 governments in less than a hundred years, the advent and growth of the city’s influence, the influx of residents with vast cultural differences resultant in her growth, New Orleans and the areas of the Gulf Coast became flamboyantly distinctive from her fellow American cities or regions.

      In culture, in politics, in cuisine, and in attitude, New Orleans and the areas surrounding her were and are uniquely different. Her differences spilled into the Gulf Coast, creating a distinctive dynamic existing to the present time.

       America’s Gulf Coast

      The pre-Katrina Gulf Coast presented an abundant mix of activity and commerce. These qualities, punctuated by a diversity of culture, made the area unique and exhilarating. From New Orleans extending eastward along the Mississippi and Alabama Gulf Coast, a special climate of excitement was presented…from spicy Cajun food to that special New Orleans jazz sound…to casinos sitting on white beaches and the pristine warmth of the Gulf Coast capturing the adoration of tourists all over the world.

      The climate of the Gulf Coast (subtropical in the south and temperate in the north) combined with the rich alluvial soils lend to a strong agricultural economy. Such conditions make the region one of the nation’s leading producers of such crops as rice, sweet potatoes and sugarcane. Other cash crops coming from the region are soybeans, cotton, hay and pecans.

      The warm Gulf waters nourished by sediment-rich water from the Mississippi and Pearl Rivers yield major industries for fishing, shrimp, menhaden, and oysters. Louisiana is also a leading fur-trapping state supplying most of country's muskrat furs. Pelts are also obtained from mink, opossums, otter, and raccoon. The availability of abundant natural resources has contributed to New Orleans’ growth as a significant industrial and distribution center, making it one of the busiest seaports in the world.

      Like Houston, New Orleans is located in proximity to the Gulf of Mexico and supports many oil rigs lying offshore. A substantial number of energy companies have their regional headquarters in the area, including BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, and Shell Oil Company. New Orleans is the home and worldwide headquarters of 2 Fortune 500 companies: Entergy Corporation, an energy and infrastructure providing company, and Freeport-McMoRan, a copper and gold exploration company.

      Additionally, the Federal government enjoys a significant presence in the area. The NASA Michoud Assembly Facility is located in the eastern portion of Orleans Parish. This facility is operated by Lockheed-Martin and is a large manufacturing facility where external fuel tanks for space shuttles are produced. The Michoud Assembly Facility also houses the National Finance Center operated by the USDA. Other companies with a significant presence or base in New Orleans include BellSouth, Hibernia Corp., IBM, Navtech, Harrah's (downtown casino), Popeye's Fried Chicken and Zatarain's.

      The Port of New Orleans handles about 84 million short tons of cargo a year. The Port of South Louisiana, based in the New Orleans suburb of LaPlace, handles 199 million short tons. The 2 combined to form the largest port in the world by bulk tonnage.

      About 5,000 ships from nearly 60 nations dock at the Port of New Orleans annually. Chief exports are grain and other foods from the Midwestern United States and petroleum products. Leading imports include chemicals,

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