1781 |
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| South America & Caribbean:French and Spanish forces take Monserrat, Tobago, St. Eustatius, Demerara, St. Kitts and Nevis. French Fleet sails to the Chesapeake to aid Americans. British fleet attacks St. Eustatius, seizing ships of various nations, but the victory is denounced by Parliament | |||||||||||
| North America:Pensacola falls to the Spanish. Spanish Forces take Ft. St. Joseph from British in Michigan. American victories at Cowpens and Eutaw, N.C., Yorktown. British forces burn Richmond, Va. with help of Benedict Arnold. Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union adopted. Franciscan monks settle in Los Angeles. First Blue laws printed on blue paper in New Haven, CN. Bank of North America in Philadelphia. | |||||||||||
| Europe: First iron bridge in London. Religious tolerance and freedom of the press in Austria under Joseph II. . Non-fiction by Immanuel Kant; Gibbon’ Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire; painting by Jacques Louis David; music by Haydn, Hiller and Mozart . Planet Uranus discovered. | |||||||||||
January 1781
Spanish Officials: Alcaldes Ordinarios Primer - Jacinto Panis Segundo - Guy (Guido) Dufossat. Sindico Procurador General Antonio Joseph Azetier Mayordomo de Proprios Francisco Blanche. January 19, 1781 New Orleans is crowded with soldiers and sailors who are awaiting orders for the assault on British-held Pensacola. Interim governor Pedro Piernas prohibits disguises and black attendance at nocturnal dances. Fugitive slaves have been taking advantage of the revelry to sneak back into the city in costume. |
February 1781
The Cabildo issues an ordinance preventing black people from masking. |
March 1781
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April 1781
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May 1781
May 10 Pensacola falls, West Florida is once again Spanish. Gilberto St. Maxent is awarded the titles of Commandant of the Militia of Louisiana, Lt. Governor of the Providence of Louisiana and West Florida, Captain-General of the new Bureau of Indian Affairs of Louisiana and West Florida as well as many other perks short of compensation for his investment. He declares that the victory has hampered the commerce of Louisiana which had been kept alive by trade with the British. Commerce had virtually ceased during the war and supplies were depleted in Louisiana. The nobles in Spain were less aggressive or industrious than other Europeans at this time, particularly in respect to the Louisiana colony. By the spring of 1781 Galvez has conquered West Florida and the colony turns to attempts to expand trade. Galvez’ father-in-law Gilberto St. Maxent leaves for Spain to secure trading privleges with Indians. Intendant Martin Navarro will present a detailed evaluation of the colony’s needs and potential. The king will reply next January. |
June 1781
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July 1781
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August 1781
August 31 Juan Ventura Morales, a treasury official declares that slave funds are to be used only to apprehend fugitive slaves. Morales states in a letter to the Cabildo that attention to his duties prevents him from collecting the tax. The Cabildo names Juan Arnoul, regidore-receptor de penas to collect slave funds and the mayordomo de propios would make disbursements. |
September 1781
September 1781; Acting governor Piernas authorizes militia captain Baptista Hugon and eight black militiamen to pursue runaway slaves hiding in the rear of Madam Le Conte’s plantation. They accomplish their work in two days. |
October 1781
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November 1781
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December 1781
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| Until 1781 the Cabildo employed and controlled both the public printer and the town crier. In 1781 it will dismiss the printer to reduce expenses and later loses control of the town crier. The governor’s office picks up these two offices and the council now must ask the governor to make an announcement. | The public becomes alarmed when an arsonist seems to be loose in New Orleans. The Cabildo demolishes 75 inadequate chimneys and 20 ovens as a precaution. | In 1781 the Cabildo appoints two of its members to check the levee above and below the city for weak spots and cave-ins on both banks. Preventing a crevasse in the levee miles from the city was a legitimate concern, for the flood waters knew no boundaries. The planters on the Cabildo, of course, used this fact to protect their plantations near the city. | In 1781; ship captains and pilots attempt to use their marine fuero to avoid paying a duty on liquor. Acting Governor Estaban Rodriguez Miro takes measures to enforce the payments that began with O’Reilly. | In 1781 the quality of beef seems to have worsened.
Joseph Collette of New Iberia
plans to drive a herd to New Orleans and the Cabildo extends protection
from Attakapas and Opelousas ranchers.
The governor is asked to step in when merchants are trying to gouge the public. Several merchants are trying to raise prices artificially by buying goods down river before they arrive in New Orleans. |
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