Slaves were first brought to the Louisiana Territory by the French in 1716. The first group consisted of 500 slaves from the French colonies in the Caribbean Islands.  By the 1730's there were over six thousand slaves in the territory; mostly from Senegal and Gambia in West Africa. Traditional Southern Louisiana food such as gumbo has it origins in this West African culture. In the year 1810 there were over 75,000 African American slaves in Louisiana; over half the entire population of the state.

Slavery in Louisiana continued to be regulated by French law, (Code Noir) right up until emancipation. 

Conditions were extremely harsh for slaves on Louisiana sugar plantations and many of them chose to escape into the swamps and bayous. These escaped slaves were called Maroons. They formed communities deep in the bayous and often raided white settlements for food and to liberate other slaves.

In 1811 the largest slave revolt in U.S. history occurred in Saint Charles Parish. The rebellion was crushed and the leaders of the revolt were hung.

LOUISIANA PURCHASE STAMP ISSUES      There are two previous issues that commemorate the Louisiana Purchase. The first issue was a set of 5 stamps issued on the centennial anniversary of the purchase in St. Louis for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904.             Scott Catalog Numbers 323-327
Scott #1020	The second Louisiana Purchase stamp was issued on April 30, 1953; on the 150th anniversary of the of the signing of the treaty in Paris, France.
View A Selection of 2003 Louisiana Purchase First Day Covers Official USPS Cover Crescent City Stamp Club RAT Cachets (My Design) Heritage Cachets

Part I     Part II    Part III    Part IV 

Sources: 
Encyclopedia Britannica  
American Patriots by Gail Buckley 
Encyclopedia Africana