The Louisiana Purchase was a huge land sale, but the actual land conveyed was only vaguely described. The land north of Lake Pontchartrain was Spanish. Borders were contested. The land was soon divided into territories.
As time went by, Louisiana created political divisions within the state in order to establish courts. These counties and parishes changed and became more numerous as the population grew.
Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division, Louisiana: European Explorations and the Louisiana Purchase
Carey, M. (1814) Louisiana. [S.l] [Map] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2002624016/.
For the laws that form the basis for creating Louisiana and its parishes, please see the companion LibGuide Louisiana Borders.
