Florida Parishes

 

Those portions of Southeast Louisiana north of the Bayou Manchac-Amite River-Lakes Maurepas-Pontchartrain and -Borgne confluences, south of the Thirty-first degree North latitude, east of the Mississippi and west of the Pearl River are historically identified the Florida Parishes.

Experiencing overlordship by French, British, Spanish and American military occupiers respectively, the eight modern parishes of East Baton Rouge, West Feliciana, East Feliciana, St. Helena, Livingston, Tangipahoa, Washington and St. Tammany maintain a distinct regional identity linked by geography and a peculiar common history.

 

Only the Florida Parishes

  • boasts association with every major colonial power occupying Louisiana.

  • remained separate and distinct from the original Louisiana Purchase.

  • shaped its own destiny through an armed insurrection successfully overthrowing the existing government and leading to the establishment of an independent nation, the original "Lone Star Republic" of West Florida.

  • witnessed fierce feud-related violence earning the ominous distinction as home to some of the highest rural homicide rates ever recorded in American history.

 

Flags which have flown over the Florida Parishes:

 

Spanish flag of Castile and LeonRoyal Spanish flag of Castile and Leon

 

fleur de lis French Fleur de Lis Royal Flag

 

union jack 1606 British Union Jack (late 1700s)

 

British flag Spanish national Flag

 

us flag in 1803 U.S. flag (1795-1818)

 

west fla flag Flag of the West Florida Republic, 1810

 

louisiana secession flag Louisiana Secession flag, 1861

 

confederate stars and bars flag First Confederate national flag

 

louisiana flag Louisiana state flag