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The U.S. and France agreed on April 30, 1803, to the
American purchase of Louisiana (which was announced publicly in the United States on July 4). However, the U.S. did not immediately take possession of these lands on the west side of the Mississippi, and Spain continued to administer the territory
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People of Upper
Louisiana, by order of the king I am now about to surrender this post and its dependencies. The flag which has protected you during nearly 36 years will no longer be seen. The oath you took now ceases to bind. Your faithfulness and courage in upholding it will be remembered forever.
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The
Spanish flag was lowered on March 9, and the French flag was hoisted to fly over the city of St. Louis for 24 hours. The French flag, initially supposed to have been lowered at sunset, remained under guard all night.
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announced plans for an exploration of the new territory. Spain, however, prohibited any foreign exploration of its territory. Lewis and Clark were to spend the winter of 1803–1804 at
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90:, and Great Britain received the French lands east of the River (the "left bank") -- which included what had previously been called the
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in attendance. However, with navigation on the
Mississippi halted because of winter, the news was not conveyed to
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by area residents who had resisted Spain's assumption of colonial authority in the formerly French domain.
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265:. This event is sometimes referred to as the "Three Flag Ceremony" or the "Ceremony of Three Flags".
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were transferred to the United States in a ceremony with
Laussat and incoming United States governor
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arrived in St. Louis by boat and were met by the
Spanish lieutenant governor for Upper Louisiana,
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took possession of the lands east of the
Mississippi River which had for some years belonged to
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155:. However, the treaty was kept secret and Spain continued to administer the territory.
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120:. American control of the territory which became today's Midwestern states (the former
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The United States extended its western boundaries to the
Mississippi River during the
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On
November 30, 1803, Spain formally transferred the territory in a ceremony at
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Spain officially took control of its territory in 1769, when it suppressed the
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182:. until the lands had been formally turned over to the United States.
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of the transfer of Upper
Louisiana from France to the United States.
82:), in which treaty Spain received the French land west of the
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because it had not yet formally turned it over to France.
43:, which then officially turned over the same lands to the
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France had ruled Louisiana from its founding until the
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From the bottom of my heart I wish you all prosperity.
213:On December 20, 1803, New Orleans and the rest of
283:by Grace King and John R. Fricklin (1893), p. 146
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261:The next morning, March 10, 1804, the American
198:in New Orleans attended by Spanish Governors
275:Three Flags Over St. Louis - usgennet.org
86:(the "right bank" going downstream) plus
31:commemorates March 9, and 10, 1804, when
204:Sebastián Calvo de la Puerta y O'Farrill
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236:, the new U.S. lieutenant governor for
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35:officially completed turning over the
143:concluded France's re-acquisition of
78:(whose North American phase was the
162:After the United States' purchase,
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318:Pre-statehood history of Missouri
174:, opposite the confluence of the
128:) was not secure until both the
47:, in order to finalize the 1803
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153:Third Treaty of San Ildefonso
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136:(1794) had been formalized.
62:to begin their exploration.
37:Louisiana colonial territory
20:A postcard of a painting by
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303:Lewis and Clark Expedition
110:American Revolutionary War
246:Carlos de Hault de Lassus
208:Pierre Clement de Laussat
206:and new French Governor
74:(1763), which ended the
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219:William C.C. Claiborne
200:Juan Manuel de Salcedo
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238:District of Louisiana
170:in what was then the
151:) from Spain, in the
80:French and Indian War
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298:History of St. Louis
281:History of Louisiana
139:On October 1, 1800,
58:cleared the way for
114:George Rogers Clark
248:. De Lassus said:
232:On March 9, 1804,
180:Mississippi Rivers
141:Napoleon Bonaparte
49:Louisiana Purchase
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172:Indiana Territory
103:Rebellion of 1768
84:Mississippi River
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263:flag was hoisted
242:Meriwether Lewis
164:Thomas Jefferson
122:Illinois Country
92:Illinois Country
76:Seven Years' War
54:The ceremony in
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223:James Wilkinson
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132:(1783) and the
130:Treaty of Paris
112:, when General
96:Upper Louisiana
72:Treaty of Paris
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60:Lewis and Clark
29:Three Flags Day
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196:Plaza de Armas
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22:F. L. Stoddard
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118:Great Britain
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45:United States
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221:, with Gen.
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145:La Louisiane
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126:Ohio Country
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192:the Cabildo
168:Camp Dubois
88:New Orleans
308:New France
292:Categories
269:References
186:Ceremonies
147:(Spanish:
134:Jay Treaty
66:Background
313:New Spain
227:St. Louis
215:Louisiana
56:St. Louis
176:Missouri
149:Luisiana
240:, and
41:France
33:Spain
202:and
194:and
178:and
124:and
94:or
39:to
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