The first expedition into the Gulf Coast area was that of Hernando de Soto, who passed through in 1540. However, the first settlement was that of Ocean Springs (or Old Biloxi), settled by Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville in 1699. The town of Mobile, established in 1702, was the first capital of the territory, before Biloxi became the capital in 1720. This was short lived however, because the capital was moved once again in 1723, after the city of New Orleans was established.
In 1763, France had to cede French Louisiana east of the Mississippi River, except for New Orleans, to Great Britain. At that same time, France sold Louisiana west of the Mississippi, including New Orleans, to Spain. During the next 40 years, the Gulf Coast region changed hands several times between these three countries before the Louisana Purchase in 1803 and the Florida territories were ceded to the U.S. by Spain in 1819. Although all of the Gulf Coast joined the Confederate States during the Civil War, the major towns of the region were captured by the Union forces early in the war to maintain the blockade of the Confederacy.
Following the Civil War, the Gulf Coast area began a slow period of recovery, with most of the area remaining poor, rural farmland. It was not until World War II and the establishment of many defence industries in the region that the Gulf Coast began to be prosperous. The establishment of legalized gambling in several areas has also helped to promote tourism to the area. In 2005, much of the Gulf Coast region was devastated by hurricane Katrina. The recovery efforts in the region are proceeding and many of the structures and busineses are re-opening.