The Golden Era

1830s – 1840s

New Orleans

Why?

1. Inventions in agriculture

2. Port opened

3. Steamboat

1. Cotton Gin 1793

• Separated cotton from seeds

• Was originally done by hand

• Invention had “teeth” that picked through cotton

• Cotton production faster and cheaper

More cotton means…

• More slaves• From 700,000 slaves

before gin to 3.2 million after invention

• 1 out of 3 people in south were enslaved

• More land = huge plantations

Results for New Orleans

• Most of cotton shipped out of New Orleans

• From 750,000 bales to 2.8 million bales

• 2/3 of world’s cotton coming from south

• “cash crop” dependency• Requiring trade to get

food

1. Sugar Granulation 1795

• Etienne de Bore invented it

Sugar Plantations

• Require slave labor• Profitable business• Requires trading with

others to get food, goods

• Mrs. Hermann grew up on a sugar plantation, Evergreen Plantation.

Port of New Orleans

• Reason Native Americans were here

• Reason French settled New Orleans

• Reason Spanish were profitable

• Closing it led to War of 1812

• Reason Americans wanted New Orleans

2. Trade

• Unable to live off of sugar and cotton

• River allows trade with people ALL OVER THE WORLD

• Europe, Asia want sugar and cotton

• New Orleanians get everything / anything

Business Booms

• Businessmen from all over the world come to New Orleans

• Able to make fast money

• Buying and selling goods

• Samuel Hermann example of this

The Slave TradeNew Orleans was a port city with access to the interior United States as well as the international world.

Slaves were brought here to be bought and sold. Marie is an example of this. She was young and from up north.

After 1808, importing slaves became illegal. Pirates filled the void, as did the demand for slaves to have babies.

3. Transportation

• Steamboat invented in 1812

• Able to move goods faster, cheaper

• Brings more people to New Orleans

• Replaces keel boats and flat boats

Railroads

• 1831 Pontchartrain Railroad in city

• Connected River to Lake

• Others quickly followed

• Long distance trains in 1850s

• Expanded trade throughout states

As a result:

• New Orleans population TRIPLES

• Becomes largest city in the west and south

• International flavor of city picks up

• Americans flood “Creole” city

Culture and Wealth Explode• Opera• Theater• Balls• Marie Virginie and Lucien Hermann would

have indulged in all of these activities! The free women of color- Julie Bosio and Jeanne Graieuse- also would have.

New Orleans and the World