Antebellum New Orleans was home to thousands of urbane, educated and well to do free blacks. The French called them les gens de couleur libre, the free people of color; after the Civil War they were known as the Creoles of color, shortened today to simply Creoles. Theirs was an ambiguous status, sharing the French Language, Catholic religion and European education of the elite whites, but also keeping African and indigenous American influences from their early heritage. This is their story, rarely mentioned in conventional ...
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Antebellum New Orleans was home to thousands of urbane, educated and well to do free blacks. The French called them les gens de couleur libre, the free people of color; after the Civil War they were known as the Creoles of color, shortened today to simply Creoles. Theirs was an ambiguous status, sharing the French Language, Catholic religion and European education of the elite whites, but also keeping African and indigenous American influences from their early heritage. This is their story, rarely mentioned in conventional histories, and often misunderstood today, even by some of their descendants. The book is an easy read that lays out the chronology of events, laws and circumstances that formed the unique racial mix of New Orleans and much of Louisiana. Includes end notes, suggested bibliography, index, and a listing of family names of free people of color that appear in the early years of the Louisiana Territory. A must-have for genealogists, historians, and students of African-American history.
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Seller's Description:
Dennis, Lloyd (Photog. ) Very good. Cover design by Rhonda Ries. Clean, unmarked pages. Tight, uncreased spine. Very faint crease running the length of front cover. Chapters include 'Founding of New Orleans and Early Years 1718 1730', 'French Period 1731 1761', 'Spanish Period 1762 1802', 'Early American Period 1803 1830', 'Antebellum Years 1830 1860', 'The Civil War and Reconstruction 1860 1890', and 'The Creole Legacy Continues'. Includes appendix titled 'First Names and Surnames Common before 1803', as well as Bibliography and Suggested Reading. 152 pp. History.
