Building the Land of Dreams: New Orleans and the Transformation of Early America

Creating a government for New Orleans that incorporated the aspirations of those who lived and prospered there challenged political leaders who sought a model for American expansion as the "empire of freedom." In this study of change over time, Faber (history, Loyola Univ. New Orleans) analyzes the geopolitical and cultural maneuverings that had far-reaching implications for Louisiana's eventual journey to statehood and beyond, as well as for the further growth of the new nation. That New Orleans and its environs changed hands from France to Spain and back to France again, before being sold to President Thomas Jefferson in 1803, sheds light on the region's frequent culture clashes during the period, a situation Faber argues was exacerbated more by inevitable socioeconomic striation than ethnic or religious differences. Like in Ned Sublette's The World That Made New Orleans, the slave trade is identified as an important part of the city's history, yet here the focus is on the Creole elite's expectation of continued prosperity as planters controlling access to the heartland via the Mississippi.