La Nouvelle-Orléans was founded in 1718 on a natural levee by the French Mississippi Company. As a large and important port, New Orleans played a major role in the Atlantic slave trade, as well as in importing and exporting all types of goods. The goods were warehoused in New Orleans and then transferred to smaller vessels that travelled the length of the vast Mississippi River watershed.

During the American Revolutionary War, New Orleans was an important port for smuggling aid to the Patriots. By 1840, New Orleans had become the wealthiest and the third-most populous city in the nation. The city was captured and occupied early in the Civil War, which preserved many of its colonial buildings from destruction. However, New Orleans declined in importance as the nation’s industrial and railway centres moved to the Midwest and the Pacific Coast.

In the 20th century, New Orleans’ leaders believed they needed to drain and develop outlying wetlands to provide for the city’s expansion. A pump system was built to allow the city to drain huge tracts of swamp. Over the 20th century, these newly populated areas sunk to several feet below sea level, leaving much of the city vulnerable to severe flooding.

During Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the levee system failed and most of the city flooded. Most residents were evacuated and some of New Orleans' most famous buildings were damaged. However, since then much of the city centre has been rebuilt. Today New Orleans still relies heavily on tourists, especially coming to the French Quarter.