Three Flags at the Cabildo — The Louisiana Purchase Ceremony

On December 20, 1803, three flags flew over the Place d'Armes in a single day. Spain lowered its flag first, though Spain had secretly retroceded Louisiana to France three years earlier under the Treaty of San Ildefonso (1800). Spain continued administering the colony until French officials arrived. The official transfer of ownership took place at the Cabildo in New Orleans on November 30, 1803. Three weeks later, on December 20, another ceremony was held at the same location in which France transferred New Orleans and the surrounding area to the United States pursuant to the Louisiana Purchase. The French tricolor flew for 20 days. The United States took possession of 828,000 square miles for $15 million — about four cents an acre. The papers were signed in the Cabildo's second-floor sala capitular. The room still looks as it did in 1803. The Cabildo is at 701 Chartres St on Jackson Square. Open Tue–Sun. Admission charged.