The battle to rescue New Orleans
In 1840, New Orleans was the third largest city in the country. As a booming port city, New Orleans enjoyed incredible growth for decades due to increasing levels of commerce on the Mississippi River and its designation as the “Gateway to the Americas.”
The population of New Orleans continued to grow until 1960, when it peaked at 627,525 residents. At that time, it was the 15th largest city in the country.