New Orleans Culture What is the culture of New Orleans? Is it Spanish or French? Creole or Cajun? It is certainly unlike any other city in the United States. To understand why, it is necessary to learn something about the history of the city. The French settled New Orleans in 1718, but the Spanish ruled from 1765 to 1802. The French and Spanish from Europe were joined in the mid 1700s by many Acadians, or Cajuns. Thrown out of Acadia (present day Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island) by the British, they eventually ended up in what is today Louisiana, where their culture flourished. Unique at the time, the Europeans of New Orleans did not try to suppress the American Indians who lived in the region. Instead, the French allowed them to keep their freedom and culture. Also interesting is the fact that the Spanish, in an effort to gain support over the French, allowed many slaves to buy their freedom. Many of those slaves were West Africans who had come directly to New Orleans from West Africa; their descendants are known as Creoles. Cajun and Creole, Spanish and French, Native American and Catholic - this was New Orleans. The city was geographically and culturally far removed from the Anglo-Saxon settlements in New England and Virginia, and remained so until after the Louisiana Purchase, in 1803. Even after the Louisiana Purchase, French was spoken - not English. Protestantism did not rule the souls of the citizens - Catholicism did. From the beginning, there was a spirit of inclusion and freedom that horrified some travelers from the north while fascinating others. Today, the rich and varied culture of New Orleans is evidenced in its food, music, and architecture. It is easy to fall in love with this complex city - its the type of place that can take a lifetime to truly understand
Posted on: Sat, 22 Mar 2014 02:25:46 +0000
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