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New Orleans is a cosmopolitan city surrounded
by the Mississippi River. It has got the right
blend of cultural traditions and pure entertainment.
New Orleans City has something for everyone. You
will enjoy relaxing by the side of the beautiful
Long sand covered beaches, exciting water ways
and breathtaking sceneries all of which are within
your reach.
Another interesting aspect about New Orleans City
is the unique cultural combo of African, Indian,
Cajun and Creole. Whatever you've been looking
for -a relaxing getaway, attractions, entertainment,
fine dining and shopping you will surely find
it here.. When you think of New Orleans - you
are enchanted by the soulful jazz music of New
Orleans City, the Mardi Gras fest, splendid architecture,
the French Quarter and the riverboats along the
Mississippi River.
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New Orleans had been
under the French and Spanish influence for
a long time before the British decided to
capture it. It had been through lot of hardship
during these phases. The most remarkable
period was between 1850- 1852.
By 1850, New Orleans had become the South's
largest slave-trading center. With the election
of President Abraham Lincoln in 1860, Southern
'slave' states found cause to secede from
the Union, prompting the Civil War. The
Union objective to control the lower Mississippi
River and New Orleans' port was achieved
by Admiral David G Farragut, whose squadron
dramatically ran 17 vessels past a Confederate
river blockade and captured New Orleans
only two days later - the first Confederate
city to be captured. |
In
1852, the Americans gained control of the
municipal government and further eroded
Creole influence by dismissing the Code
Noir (Black Code), a 1724 document that
had regulated the treatment of slaves and
free people of color. After the fall of
New Orleans, about 24,000 Louisiana blacks
served in the Union forces. Many joined
the Native Guard units headed by General
Benjamin F Butler occupying New Orleans.
Butler's force was responsible for initiating
President Lincoln's Reconstruction policies,
restoring states to antebellum status, minus
slavery and compensation for former slaveholders.
By the early 20th century, all the cultural
elements were ripe for the musical revolution
that gave birth to jazz. From the earliest
days of slavery, blacks had congregated
at Congo Square every Sunday to dance and
sing to an African drumbeat - the only place
in the South where this was permitted. Eventually,
the indigenous musical genre called jazz
took shape, with many early jazz musicians
performing in the district of Storyville.
In the 1960s, the city's historic trade
connection with Latin America - responsible
for bringing the scent of roasting coffee
and imported tropical fruits to the city
- lost ground to Miami. From 1972 to 1981,
New Orleans' economy boomed with the manufacture
and financing of offshore oil rigs. The
economic turmoil of the 1981 oil glut and
ensuing price crash reverberated throughout
the state in the following years. New Orleans
has maintained the steady growth of tourism
- despite the ups and downs it faced during
the initial stages. |
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