Vallette de Laudun, Relation de Voyage de la Louisiane en forme de Lettres Ecrites à une Dame en l'année 1720, [18th century]

Summary

Creator:

Vallette de Laudun

Abstract:

Relation du Voyage de la Louisiane en forme de Lettres Ecrites à une Dame en l'année 1720 is an 18th-century manuscript compilation of 132 letters written by Vallette de Laudun during a French expedition to Dauphin Island, in the Gulf of Mexico.

Extent:

1 volume

Language:

French

Authors:

Collection processed and finding aid created by Erin Platte and Meg Hixon, October 2011

Background

Scope and Content:

Relation du Voyage de la Louisiane en forme de Lettres Ecrites à une Dame en l'année 1720 (7" x 9.75", 285 pages) is an 18th-century manuscript compilation of 132 letters that Vallette de Laudun wrote during a French expedition to Dauphin Island in the Gulf of Mexico between March 9-November 13, 1720. The 262-member crew embarked from Toulon, France, on the ship Toulouse, encountering Madeira, Martinique, Saint-Domingue, and Cuba before entering the Gulf of Mexico. Following a month at Dauphin Island, the expedition returned to France. Addressing an anonymous female friend, de Laudun described events of particular interest along the journey, including baptisms celebrated by Jesuits who were part of the expedition. Prior to his title page, de Laudun also listed the numbers of officers, crewmen, and servants on board the Toulouse upon its departure.

Biographical / Historical:

Vallette de Laudun was a French army officer who commanded an expedition to the Louisiana Territory in 1720. The French claimed Louisiana when René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle explored the area in 1682, though settlers proved slow in moving to the area. By 1720, settlers founded several towns in the territory, including New Orleans, which became capital of French Louisiana in 1721.

Acquisition Information:

M-4877 .

Processing information:

Cataloging funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC). This collection has been processed according to minimal processing procedures and may be revised, expanded, or updated in the future.

Rules or Conventions:

Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Related

Additional Descriptive Data:

Related Materials

Vallette de Laudun. Journal d'un Voyage a La Louisiane, Fait en 1720. A La Haye: chez Musier, fils, & Fournier, libraires, quai des Augustins, 1768.

Antoine François Laval, a Jesuit who accompanied Vallette de Laudun to Louisiana, also wrote an account of the voyage: Laval, Antoine François. Voyage De La Louisiane... Paris: J. Mariette, 1728.

Bibliography

"Historical Perspectives, 1682-1815." The Louisiana Purchase: A Heritage Explored. Louisiana State University, 2011.

Alternative Form Available:

The manuscript was published in 1768.

Subjects

Click on terms below to find any related finding aids on this site.

Subjects:

Jesuits.
Transatlantic voyages.
Voyages and travels.

Formats:

Letters (correspondence)

Places:

Dauphin Island (Ala.)
Louisiana--Description and travel.
Louisiana--History--To 1803.
West Indies, French--Description and travel.