It is one of the best preserved historical neighborhoods in America, the French
Quarter has a very strong and lasting Spanish and French influence that you can
feel as though you are visiting a foreign country. Occupying the same six by thirteen block area laid out in 1722, it's the only intact French Colonial and Spanish settlement remaining in the United States. La Nouvelle Orléans was founded in 1718 by Jean Baptiste La Moyne, Sieur de Bienville and established New Orleans as the capital of Louisiana and a fortress to control the wealth of the North American interior for the French.
Reclaimed from a swamp and centered around the Palace d' Armes — now Jackson Square — New Orleans was confined to what is now called the French Quarter or Vieux Carré (Old Square).
Bourbon Street in the French Quarter is the best known party street in New Orleans, and some say in the entire Unites States of America.
Bourbon Street is lined with bars, jazz clubs, hotels, restaurants, "gentlemen's clubs" and boutiques. Jazz, blues, and rock 'n' roll flow out open windows to the street. People dance and drink in the street outside bars as if they too had spilled out the open windows.
The party goes on most of the day and all night. Weekends and during Mardi Gras it's frequently difficult to make your way through the crowds on Bourbon.
Jackson Square is usually full of musicians, fortune tellers, artists, jugglers and other tourist amusements. Cars are never allowed on the square.
St. Louis Cathedral — the oldest continuously active cathedral in the United States — formed the center of the original settlement and dominates Jackson Square. Originally built in 1724 it had to be rebuilt twice — after a fire and then following a hurricane.
The Cabildo — just to the left of St. Louis Cathedral at 701 Chartres Street — now a Louisiana State museum, is the site of the signing of the Louisiana Purchase.
The Presbytére — just to the right of St. Louis Cathedral at 751 St. Chartres Street — is now a Mardi Gras Museum.
The statue of Andrew Jackson in the center of Jackson square recognizes his defeat of the British at New Orleans in 1814. His military success helped Andrew Jackson became the seventh President of the United States in 1832. When you look at this magnificant statue, you will notice both forelegs are elevated. Anytime you see the front legs elevated on horse with a rider in New Orleans, it has a signifance: Right foreleg elevated ... the rider died a natural death ... Left foreleg elevated, the rider died in battle of because of wounds received in battle ... Both front lets elevated, such as you see in the statue of Andrew Jackson, signifies the rider went on
to greater glory after battle ... Andrew Jackson went on to become the seventh president of the United States of America, after the Battle of New Orleans. The Louisiana Purchase
Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte had a vision of a renewed western empire for France, and his schemes included the recapture of Louisiana from Spain. Control over this vast territory would halt the westward expansion of the young United States and would supply French colonies in the West Indies with the goods they needed. In 1800, Napoleon signed the secret Treaty of Ildefonso with Spain, an agreement that stipulated that France would provide Spain with a kingdom for the son-in-law of Spain's king if Spain would return Louisiana to France. However, Napoleon's plan collapsed when the twelve-year revolt of slaves and free blacks in the French colony of Saint-Domingue succeeded, forcing French troops to return defeated to France and preventing them from reaching their ultimate destination--Louisiana--and from being able to defend it. As Napoleon's New World empire disintegrated, the loss of Haiti made Louisiana unnecessary. .
