Baton Rouge

Baton Rouge literally means "red stick" as named by the French explorer Iberville 300 years ago.

As Louisiana's capital city, Baton Rouge is known for its political history.
It changed governments four times in a period of 75 years! We were French, then English, then Spanish, then French again.

Baton Rouge was also under two governments that only lasted a few months. The west Florida was raised in 1810 only to be replaced a few months later by the United States flag.

In the beginning of the civil war, Baton Rouge became an independent colony.
It joined the confederacy one year later and following the civil war, went back to the government of the United States.

These changing governmental dynamics, coupled with the many settlers who populated the region have contributed to the international flavor that is Baton Rouge. The Acadians (Canadian refugees from Nova Scotia) came in the 1760s, the Los Isleños (Spaniards from the Canary Islands) settled in 1778. Germans settled along the coast, additional Spaniards and Sicilians moved into the region throughout the Spanish rule, and in 1819 were joined by English and French.

Today , Baton Rouge's rich cultural tradition can be seen in our unique attractions, heard in our Zydeco, Blues and Cajun music, and tasted in our blend of Creole, African American, French and Spanish cuisine.

¸2002 Bangladesh@lsu.edu