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Louisiana: State Resource Guide

This guide provides access to digital materials related to the state of Louisiana at the Library of Congress, as well as links to external websites and a selected print bibliography.

Introduction

Louisiana was admitted to the union in 1812 as the 18th state and was named by Robert de LaSalle, an early French explorer, for Louis XIV, King of France. Louisiana’s patterns of historical settlements have generated not only a unique Cajun culture but also an ethnically and linguistically distinct Creole culture of mixed French, African American, and Native American heritage.

This guide compiles links to digital materials related to Louisiana such as books, government documents, manuscripts, maps, motion pictures, photographs, sheet music, and sound recordings that are available throughout the Library of Congress website. In addition, it provides links to external websites focusing on Louisiana and a bibliography containing selected works for both general and younger readers.