Jean Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville Colonial Governor 1701-1713 1716-1717 1718-1725 1733-174

 Jean Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville served as the French Colonial Governor oldie Louisiana Territory, which extended from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada. In 1698, Bienville and his brother, Iberville led a French expedition to the Gulf of Mexico in hope of developing a French colony along the coast. They traveled into the Gulf of Mexico and up the Mississippi river. While traveling up the river they spotted a red pole which marked the boundary of two Native American tribes. They called the spot "Baton Rouge" which when translated into English means "red stick." Shortly after their arrival they chose Biloxi to be the capital of the colony but Bienville later moved it to Mobile Bay. Iberville spent little time in the colony, traveling between France and other colonies several times. He left in 1702 to go to France and never returned to Louisiana. While exploring the Mississippi and its tributaries, Bienville came upon a Native American trading center located in a crescent shaped bend of the Mississippi River near an enormous lake. It was located far enough from the coast to avoid tidal waves and hurricanes, so he chose to relocate the capital of the territory to this spot. He named the spot Nouvelle Orleans, "New Orleans," in honor of Louis Philippe, Duke of Orleans and Prince Regent of France. Bienville became governor of the territory in 1701. I le learned quickly that governing such a vast territory would be difficult. The colony was bound for disaster. Like many other colonies, Bienville was faced with an inadequate work force. Many of the colonists were the sons of noblemen from France who either did not know how to work or simply refused to. Most colonists wanted fast money. There were few farmers, so crops went unplanted and often spoiled. Disease was out of control; People suffered from malaria and dysentery, and starvation was common. Bienville developed good relations with the Native Americans near the settlement and often traded with them to feed the hungry. When word reached France to send Bienville workers, not noblemen, they decided to send him everyone they could. They promised a new land of opportunity and riches to all who made the voyage, and cleared the streets of vagrants by loading them on ships bound for New Orleans. Obviously, this made matters worse. Bienville, despite the odds, actually made it work. He is not known for his great policies or control of the colony, but he is known for his ability to avert disaster. He was faced with disease, starvation, low population, criminals and no work force, but he inevitably carried the colony. Though Louisiana was no success, at the rate colonies were falling, Bienville must be given enormous credit for his ability to maintain the colony's existence. Bienville, known as the "Father of Louisiana," returned to France in 1743 and never again set foot on Louisiana soil.