Synopses & Reviews
From its ancient Indian peoples to its troubled beginning as a French colony to the tragic events of Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana has a history that, whatever else one might say about the state, has never been dull. This fifth edition of our classic survey history of Louisiana reflects a re-examination on the part of its esteemed team of authors of recent historical findings as well as of their own research, ensuring that Louisiana: A History will continue to present the most comprehensive and current account of the many different peoples that have and currently do make the rich, colorful land known as Louisiana their home.
Review
Praise for previous editions:"Louisiana: A History is the textbook that students of the Pelican State have long awaited. General editor Bennett H. Wall has assembled an impressive stable of contributors. The result is a sprightly worded contemporary synthesis that draws upon the best recent works in Louisiana history. Wall and his associates have done well. ... The illustrations...are alone worth the price of the book...Students and general readers alike will profit from this valuable collaborative work. It promises to be the standard textbook in Louisiana history for many years to come." (Southern History, Fall 1985)
"For better or for worse, and there was both, Louisiana has one of the most exciting, dynamic, diverse and completely 'human' heritages of any state in the Union. The authors are to be congratulated for a very cogent, clear, and readable and much needed text in Louisiana history." (Louisiana History, 1985)
Table of Contents
Introduction by John C. Rodrigue 1
Part One 9
By Light Townsend Cummins
Chapter One. Native Peoples and European Contact 11
Chapter Two. The Founding of French Louisiana 32
Chapter Three. Louisiana as a French Colony 53
Chapter Four. Spanish Louisiana 69
Chapter Five. The Final Years of Colonial Louisiana 84
Suggested Readings 97
Part Two 101
By Judith Kelleher Schafer
Chapter Six. The Territorial Period 103
Chapter Seven. The Political Development of Antebellum Louisiana 123
Chapter Eight. Life and Labor in Antebellum Louisiana 153
Chapter Nine. Civil War and Reconstruction in Louisiana 196
Suggested Readings 224
Part Three 229
By Edward F. Haas
Chapter Ten. Uneasy Interlude,1877-1892 231
Chapter Eleven. Bourbonism, Populism, and a Little Progressivism 1892-1924
Chapter Twelve. The Time of the Kingfish, 1924-1935 278
Chapter Thirteen. The Struggle to Catch Up 1877-1935
Suggested Readings 318
Part Four 321
By Michael L. Kurtz
Chapter Fourteen. Corruption, Reform, and Reaction, 1936-1950 323
Chapter Fifteen. Reform and Race, 1950-1960 348
Chapter Sixteen. The Decline of Racism, 1960-1972 373
Chapter Seventeen. The Era of Edwin Edwards 1972-1987 390
Chapter Eighteen. Contemporary Louisiana 1987-2007 414
Suggested Readings 472
Appendix I. 475
Appendix II. 478
Appendix III. 484
Index. 485