NEW ORLEANS: THE FIRST 300 YEARS chronicles the history of the internationally renowned city - including its rough start as a French colony in a humid location teeming with alligators and mosquitoes, its time under Spanish domination, and its eventual purchase by America at the beginning of the 19th century. Narrated by actor John Goodman, the film also explores its time as a major center for the slave trade, the Reconstruction era, the impact of civil rights legislation on the city, and the homefront during WWII. Additional segments look at the early days of Mardi Gras, Carnival and the city's musical, culinary and literary history.