Louisiana Rebellion of 1768

Quick Facts: Who was Louisiana Rebellion of 1768?

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Louisiana Rebellion of 1768

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Failed Creole revolt against Spanish rule following French cession of Louisiana.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Rebellion of 1768, also known as the Revolt of 1768 or the Creole Revolt, was an unsuccessful attempt by the Louisiana French Creole elite of New Orleans, along with nearby German settlers, to reverse the transfer of the French Louisiana to Spain, as had been stipulated in the 1762 Treaty of Fontainebleau. The rebellion forced the Spanish Governor, Antonio de Ulloa, to leave New Orleans and return to Spain, but his replacement, General Alejandro O'Reilly, was able to crush the rebellion, execute five of its ringleaders, and firmly establish Spanish control over the territory. In the Treaty of Paris at the conclusion of the global Seven Years' War, known in America as the French and Indian Wars, France lost all of its territories on the North America continent including Canada, Illinois Country and Louisiana. It got to keep its French West Indies islands in the Caribbean and also the islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon. Great Britain acquired Canada and all the land on the east bank of the Mississippi River and its tributaries.

Career & Major Achievements

As compensation from losses elsewhere, France handed over control of New Orleans and all the land on the west bank of the Mississippi River and its tributaries to their Spanish allies. Implementation of the turnover was slow in North America with the French continuing to expand its villages including founding St. Louis. In April 1764 the first Spanish governor, Jean-Jacques Blaise d'Abbadie, a French official who was administering Louisiana for the Spanish, took office and heard complaints from among the natives. D'Abbadie died from illness on February 4, 1765. The senior military officer in the colony Captain Charles Philippe Aubry, a French officer, assumed control and continued to administer the colony for Spain.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

After a mass meeting in January 1765, Jean Milhet, a rich and influential New Orleans merchant, was sent to France to appeal directly to Louis XV to rescind the decision to transfer Louisiana to the Spanish crown, but the King would not grant him an audience. On March 5, 1766, Antonio de Ulloa, the new Spanish governor, arrived, but brought with him only 90 soldiers and a small group of bureaucrats. Spain had expected French soldiers to join the Spanish army with the transfer of control of Louisiana, but few did. Having insufficient military support if there were to be an insurrection, he did not present his credentials and did not formally accept the handing over of the territory, not even raising the Spanish flag over the Place d'Armes. Instead, he decided to run the colony through Aubrey, the interim French governor.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1764: 1764 Milestone — In April 1764 the first Spanish governor, Jean-Jacques Blaise d'Abbadie, a French official who was administering Louisiana for the Spanish, took office and heard complaints from among the natives.
2. 1765: 1765 Milestone — D'Abbadie died from illness on February 4, 1765.
3. 1766: 1766 Milestone — On March 5, 1766, Antonio de Ulloa, the new Spanish governor, arrived, but brought with him only 90 soldiers and a small group of bureaucrats.
4. 1768: 1768 Milestone — The Rebellion of 1768, also known as the Revolt of 1768 or the Creole Revolt, was an unsuccessful attempt by the Louisiana French Creole elite of New Orleans, along with nearby German settlers, to reverse the transfer of the French Louisiana to Spain, as had been stipulated in the 1762 Treaty of Fontainebleau.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Louisiana Rebellion of 1768

True or False: “The rebellion was immediately successful in forcing the permanent withdrawal of all Spanish authority from New Orleans.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): Although the initial revolt forced Governor Ulloa to leave, his replacement, General Alejandro O'Reilly, successfully crushed the uprising and re-established firm Spanish control.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Arthur Guinness II — Historical peer (Born in 1768) (1768): Anglo-Irish brewer, banker, and politician who managed the expansion of the Guinness brewery.
• Canaletto — Historical peer (Died in 1768) (1768): Master Vedutista: Celebrated painter of Venetian and Roman cityscapes.
• André Chénier — Historical peer (Born in 1762) (1762): Emotive French poet, precursor to Romanticism, tragically linked to the French Revolution.
• Elizabeth of Russia — Historical peer (Died in 1762) (1762): Empress of Russia, known for her construction and opposition to Prussia.
• Alexander Mackenzie (explorer) — Historical peer (Born in 1764) (1764): Scottish explorer and fur trader famed for crossing North America north of Mexico.
• Ann Radcliffe — Historical peer (Born in 1764) (1764): Pioneering English novelist celebrated for developing the Gothic genre.
• Eli Whitney — Historical peer (Born in 1765) (1765): American inventor best known for the cotton gin, shaping the Antebellum South's economy.
• Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor — Historical peer (Died in 1765) (1765): Last non-Habsburg Holy Roman Emperor; founder of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine.
• Franz Xaver Süssmayr — Historical peer (Born in 1766) (1766): Austrian composer, best known for completing Mozart's Requiem.
• Germaine de Staël — Historical peer (Born in 1766) (1766): Influential French writer, philosopher, and political theorist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

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