▁of ▁the ▁transaction , ▁now ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁" Louis iana ▁P urchase ", ▁the ▁area ▁that ▁would ▁eventually ▁enter ▁the ▁Union ▁as ▁the ▁State ▁of ▁Louisiana ▁was ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁District ▁of ▁Orleans . ▁The ▁area ▁north ▁of ▁present - day ▁Louisiana ▁was ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁District ▁of ▁Louisiana . ▁At ▁first ▁the ▁new ▁" D istrict ▁of ▁Louisiana " ▁was ▁attached ▁to ▁Indiana ▁Territ ory ▁for ▁administrative ▁purposes . ▁In ▁ 1 8 0 4 ▁the ▁District ▁of ▁Louisiana ▁was ▁designated ▁as ▁the ▁Louisiana ▁Territ ory ▁and ▁the ▁new ▁territory ▁was ▁sub div ided ▁into ▁districts ▁– ▁namely , ▁St . ▁Charles , ▁St . ▁Louis , ▁Ste . ▁Gene v ieve , ▁Cape ▁Gir arde au , ▁and ▁New ▁Madrid ▁– ▁stretch ing ▁along ▁the ▁Mississippi ▁River ▁with ▁no ▁definite ▁boundaries ▁to ▁the ▁west . ▁The ▁area ▁of ▁the ▁present ▁State ▁of ▁Ark ansas ▁lay ▁within ▁the ▁District ▁of ▁New ▁Madrid , ▁which ▁stretch ed ▁from ▁the ▁present ▁Ark ansas - Louis iana ▁state ▁line ▁to ▁the ▁present ▁city ▁of ▁New ▁Madrid , ▁Missouri . ▁The ▁authorities ▁found ▁that ▁there ▁were ▁few ▁people ▁in ▁the ▁new ▁territory , ▁especially ▁the ▁area ▁which ▁was ▁later ▁to ▁become ▁Ark ansas , ▁to ▁en roll ▁in ▁the ▁milit ia . ▁Low ▁and ▁sw amp y , ▁early ▁Ark ansas ▁attract ed ▁few ▁sett lers , ▁and ▁many ▁of ▁those ▁who ▁did ▁come ▁were ▁it iner ant ▁French ▁hun ters ▁and ▁tra ppers ▁who ▁were ▁hardly ▁temper ament ally ▁fit ▁for ▁the