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Tickets for Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge has been the second largest city behind New Orleans, and the capital city in the state of Louisiana for many years. However, the destruction resulting from Hurricane Katrina has reduced the population of New Orleans, such that Baton Rouge is the most populous city in the state. It serves as the parish seat of East Baton Rouge Parish.
History
French period (1699-1763)
The French name "Baton Rouge" means "Red Stick". In 1699, French explorer Sieur d'Iberville led an exploration party of about 200 up the Mississippi River. On March 17, they saw a cypress pole festooned with bloody animal and fish heads, on a bluff on the east bank of the river, which they learned, was a boundary marker between the hunting territories of the Bayogoula and the Houma tribes
British period (1763-1779)
On Feb. 10, 1763, the Treaty of Paris was signed, whereby France gave all its territory in North America to Britain and Spain. Spain ended up with New Orleans and all west of the Mississippi. Britain ended up with all land in the east of Mississippi, except for New Orleans. Baton Rouge, suddenly had strategic significance as the southwest-most corner of British North America.
Spanish period (1779-1810)
A colony of Pennsylvania German farmers settled to the south of town, and moved north to high ground from their original settlement on Bayou Manchac after a series of floods in 1780s. They were known locally as "Dutch Highlanders" and today’s Highland Road cuts through their original indigo and cotton plantations. The two major roads off of Highland Road, Essen Lane and Siegen Lane were both named after cities in Germany.
The Republic of West Florida (1810)
As a result of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, Spanish West Florida found itself almost entirely surrounded by the United States and its possessions. The Spanish Fort at Baton Rouge became the only non-American post on the Mississippi River.
Several of the inhabitants of West Florida began to have conventions to plan a rebellion, among them Fullwar Skipwith, a Baton Rouge native. One of these conventions was held in a house on a street in the city |