Governor William Charles Cole Claiborne's Address to the Citizens of Louisiana, December 20, 1803
On December 20, 1803 the Governor of the Mississippi Territory William C.C. Claiborne participated in the ceremonial transfer of Louisiana to the United States. In this Proclamation—written in English, French and Spanish—Claiborne announced to the residents of Louisiana that they now owed their allegiance to the United States and assured them that their rights would be protected by the U.S. Constitution.
Proclamation to the People of New Orleans, December 20, 1803; Records of the U. S. House of Representatives, RG 233.