Picture courtesy of Jim Kuntz

Spain laid claim to the area in 1764, calling the region Upper Louisiana. Spanish explorers searched for gold and silver in this area and their travels resulted in the establishment of trade routes later used by the French and Americans. The Spanish also saw themselves as missionaries, establishing churches throughout the territory. The Spanish government offered free land to settlers, enticing pioneers like Daniel Boone to move to the St. Charles area. Spain ceded the territory to France in 1800 in the Treaty of San Ildefonso.

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