A French Royal Colony: 1699-1712

Not only were the English curious about the area, so were the Spanish. They had heard about the establishment of the French Fort Maurepas and decided to learn more about their neighbors. From Spanish-controlled Florida, the Governor of Pensacola came with soldiers to decide how strong the French fortiication was. If it was weak, they were to attack.

Iberville was still in France, and his younger brother Bienville who had bluffed the English now had to deal with the Spanish. Bienville ordered the French soliders to wear their best uniforms and display their best guns. Bienville welcomed and entertained the Spanish visitors in style. Because of the French display, the Spanish decided that Fort Maurepas must be well defended and supplied. They left without attacking.

Because interest was still being shown in the Mississippi area by other countries, when Iberville retured from France with supplies, the French leaders decided that they must build a fort near the mouth of the Mississippi to discourage English and Spanish excursions in the area. Fort de la Boulaye was built north of the three branches of the river that flow into the gulf. Fort de la Boulaye was abandoned in 1718 when New Orleans was built and its exact location is today unknown as humidity and flooding hastened the decay of artifacts.

In the spring of 1700, the soldiers and settlers at Fort Maurepas were joined by 50 Canadians who came down the Mississippi River in hopes of establishing fur trade with their far southern neighbors. Trade was established and continued for years between the Canadian French and their Louisiana counterparts.

This was a strategic move for France, too. By uniting their Canadian settlements and Louisiana settlements with the Mississippi River and its tributaries, the French could very effectively separate its two competitiors, the English on the east coast and the Spanish in Mexico and Florida.

In 1702, a fever broke out in Fort Maurepas. Because of the unhealthy conditions the French moved their main base of operations to a new fort to the east building Fort St. Louis de la Mobile. This location was really no better and it was abandoned in 1709 when the French moved to the present location of Mobile, Alabama. In the meantime, settlers who had remained at Fort Maurepas moved to the present site of Biloxi, Mississippi.

Also in 1702, war broke out between England and France over Canadian territory, Queen Anne's War. Iberville, a successful naval officer, was called from Louisiana to again serve the French in active naval duty. This was a loss to Louisiana. Iberville was not able to return to leadership of the colony because he died of yellow fever in 1706 in Cuba still on active duty.

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