Jackson Square — Place d'Armes
Jackson Square is a historic two-and-a-half-acre public park in New Orleans where the 1803 Louisiana Purchase was finalized in a public flag-raising ceremony. Laid out in 1721 by French engineers, the square served as a military parade ground and execution site, including after the 1811 German Coast Uprising. Baroness Micaela Almonester redesigned the area, constructing the flanking Pontalba Buildings before Clark Mills's bronze Andrew Jackson statue was dedicated on February 9, 1856.
New Orleans · from the walk “Moon Walk: New Orleans Riverfront Revealed” · audio ~4 min · Generated
Jackson Square, 700 Decatur St, New Orleans
- French engineers planned the two-and-a-half-acre Jackson Square in 1721 as the heart of colonial New Orleans.
- France officially transferred Louisiana to the United States in Jackson Square on December 20, 1803.
- Three enslaved people were executed in the square following the 1811 German Coast Uprising.
- Sculptor Clark Mills's bronze statue of Andrew Jackson was dedicated in Jackson Square on February 9, 1856.
When did France hand over Louisiana to the United States in Jackson Square?
Welcome to Jackson Square... or as the French once called it, the Place d'Armes. This modest two-and-a-half-acre patch of ground is the Oldest public space in New Orleans, and it has witnessed more history than most entire cities.......... Can you imagine? Where artists now hang their paintings on the iron fence and fortune tellers read tarot cards... this was once nothing more than a muddy field used for military drills... and public executions.......... The story begins in seventeen twenty-one, when French engineers laid out a plan for the new colonial capital of La Louisiane. They conceived a fortified town at the bend of the Mississippi River, with this square at its heart. The design was actually inspired by one of the oldest squares in Paris... the famous Place des Vosges.......... Now, here's what most people don't know. On November thirtieth, eighteen oh three, Spanish officials formally handed Louisiana back to France. Just Three Weeks later, on December twentieth, France turned around and handed it to the United States... right here, with a flag-raising ceremony in this very square. The documents were signed in the Cabildo, that elegant building just to the left of Saint Louis Cathedral. But the Real spectacle was out here, where General Claiborne's American troops filled the plaza. He later wrote that the American flag was "unfurled amidst the reiterated acclamation of thousands."
...... But this square holds darker memories too. After the eighteen eleven German Coast Uprising... the Largest slave rebellion in United States history... three enslaved people were hanged right here. The heads of executed rebels were placed on the city's gates as a grim warning.......... Now look at those beautiful red brick buildings flanking either side of the square. Those are the Pontalba Buildings, and the woman behind them had a life straight out of a Gothic novel. MicaEla Almonester, Baroness de Pontalba, was the wealthiest woman in New Orleans. In eighteen thirty-four, her own father-in-law shot her Four Times at point-blank range with dueling pistols over her fortune... and she Survived! He took his own life that same evening. She returned to New Orleans, found this square in a state of desolation, and personally oversaw its transformation... reportedly climbing ladders in men's work clothes to inspect the construction herself!......... That bronze statue of Andrew Jackson at the center? It was dedicated on February ninth, eighteen fifty-six... one of four identical castings by sculptor Clark Mills. Look at Jackson tipping his hat. Legend has it the Baroness helped finance the statue and had it placed so that Jackson faces her apartment... tipping his hat to Her every single day.