675. Frances Kolb Turnbell, 1

675. Part 1 of our conversation with Frances Kolb Turnbell about Spanish Louisiana. Turnbell has written the first history of the Spanish period of colonial Louisiana: Spanish Louisiana. Part 1. Contest for the Borderlands: 1763-1803. What happens when a fading French colony is handed over to a Spanish Empire determined to impose order? In this episode, we dive into Frances Kolb Turnbell’s landmark book, Spanish Louisiana. We explore a Mississippi Valley that was far more than just a line on a map—it was a "fluid zone" where Spanish governors, defiant French colonists, Indigenous diplomats, and enslaved people seeking manumission constantly negotiated the terms of their own freedom. From the violent New Orleans Revolt of 1768 to the secret trade networks that fueled the American Revolution, Turnbell reveals how the people of the borderlands often shaped imperial policy more than the monarchs in Madrid ever did. Frances Kolb Turnbell is a historian of Early America and the Atlantic World with a specialization in the eighteenth-century Lower Mississippi Valley. She earned her PhD from Vanderbilt University and currently serves as the editor of the Tennessee Historical Quarterly while teaching at the University of North Alabama.

1. Now available: Liberty in Louisiana: A Comedy. The oldest play about Louisiana, author James Workman wrote it as a celebration of the Louisiana Purchase. Now it is back in print for the first time in 222 years. Order your copy today!
2. This week in the Louisiana Anthology. Iron Hand Tonty's Account of the Route from the Illinois by the River Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico
   Our provisions failing us, I left a man to take care of our things and went off by land; but as I had a fever constantly on me and my legs were swollen, we did not arrive at this village till St. Martin's day (November 11, 1680). During this journey we lived on wild garlick, which we were obliged to grub up from under the snow. When we arrived we found no savages: they were gone to their winter quarters. We were obliged to go to the places they had left, where we obtained hardly as much as two handfuls of Indian corn a day, and some frozen gourds which we piled up in a cabin at the water's side. Whilst we were gleaning, a Frenchman whom we had left at the cache, came to the cabin where we had left our little store of provisions. He thought we had put them there for him, and therefore did not spare them. We were very much surprised, as we were going off to Michilimakinac, to find him in the cabin, where he had arrived three days before. We had much pleasure in seeing him again, but little to see our provisions partly consumed. We did not delay to embark, and after two hours' sail, the wind in the offing obliged us to land, when I saw a fresh trail, and directed that it should be followed. It led to the Poutouatamis village, who had made a portage to the bay of the Puans. The next day, weak as we were, we carried our canoe and all our things into this bay, to which there was a league of portage. We embarked in Sturgeon Creek, and turned to the right at hazard, not knowing where to go. After sailing for a league, we found a number of cabins, which led us to expect soon to find the savages.
   
3. This week in Louisiana history. April 24, 1862. David Farragut's Union ships slip past Forts St. Phillip and Jackson.
4. This week in New Orleans history. April 24, 1862: Union Admiral David Farragut successfully ran his fleet past Forts Jackson and St. Philip, leading to the capture of New Orleans during the Civil War.
5. This week in Louisiana.
   Plaquemines Parish Seafood Festival
   Thomas Pump Station Grounds
   333 F. Edward Hebert Blvd.
   Belle Chasse, LA 70037
   April 24'26, 2026
   Website: ppsf.us
   Email: info@ppsf.us
   Phone: (504) 394‑3141
   The Plaquemines Parish Seafood Festival celebrates the region's fishing heritage with fresh Gulf seafood, live music, and family‑friendly activities throughout the weekend:
   
• Fresh Seafood Dishes: Boiled shrimp, fried fish, oysters, gumbo, and other local favorites.
• Live Entertainment: Regional bands, dance groups, and cultural performances.
• Family Activities: Carnival rides, craft vendors, and exhibits highlighting Plaquemines' coastal traditions.
6. Postcards from Louisiana. The Rock Block Band at Felix's Restaurant and Oyster Bar.

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