The official founder of New Orleans is Jean Baptiste La Moyne, Sieur de Bienville, who in 1718 established New Orleans as the capitol of Louisiana and a fortress to control the wealth of the North American interior. However, La Moyne Bienville was not the first to inhabit New Orleans or understand the area's value.

The original settlers of the area now known as New Orleans were the Chitimachas. The Chitimachas historically lived on the Southern Louisiana coast migrating from Mississippi and Texas. The Chitimacha lived in peace for hundreds of years until in the early 1700's, bands of heavily armed Frenchmen began slaving raids that touched off conflicts which escalated into a devastating twelve-year war for the Chitimacha. By the time of the founding of New Orleans, the Chitimachas' population had drastically decreased. Today, there is an estimated 750 Chitimacha tribal members.

As stated, the Chitimachas made contact with the French who were the first Europeans to fully explore the area now known as Louisiana. The first Frenchman to explore the lower Mississippi River was Rene Robert Cavalier, Sieur de La Salle. La Salle passed by the future New Orleans site in April of 1682 while exploring the Mississippi River from Canada.

The French first settled in Baton Rouge in the hopes of a permanent settlement on higher ground. However, this proved to burdensome and the French soon realized that their forts along the Gulf Coast were unable to assure control of the Mississippi. A town closer to the mouth of Mississippi River was needed to shorten the root up the Mississippi and allow the route protection from forts along the River. In 1718, La Moyne Bienville established the garrison town of New Orleans.

La Moyne Bienville is sometimes refered to as the "Father of Louisiana." He was born in Montreal Canada in 1680 and was the son of Charles and Catherine Le Moyne and was one of fourteen children. After growing up on the Frontier, La Moyne Bienville spent his adult life establishing forts and towns in and around the Mississippi Gulf. In 1717, the Governor of Louisianna bestows on La Moyne Bienville the cross of St. Louis, which the king of France bestowed upon Bienville as a special reward for his long service establishing and protecting the colony of Mississippi.

In 1718, La Moyne Bienville was commissioned as the Governor of the Louisiana/Mississippi colony. One of the first acts as Governor was to establish a new colony on the Mississippi River and make it the new seat of government. La Moyne Bienville selects the site that would become New Orleans.

New Orleans remained in French hands until 1763, when it was transferred to the Spanish. In 1800, Spain ceded it back to France who in 1803, sold New Orleans to the United States as part of the Louisiana purchase.

A great resource where I found many of the facts herein is:

http://www.gatewayno.com/hist ory/history.html

New Orleans remains an important strategic port today.  Imports of oil and other products still travel through the Big Easy to be delivered around the nation.  But New Orleans is much more important that just a port.  New Orleans is a city rich in tradition and history.  More importantly, New Orleans is rich in culture.  All different cultures make up the heart of the City and all our welcome to enjoy.