The Story of French New Orleans: History of a Creole City

by Dianne Guenin-Lelle

What is it about the city of New Orleans? History, location, and culture continue to link it to France while distancing it culturally and symbolically from the United States. This book explores the traces of French language, history, and artistic expression that have been present there over the last three hundred years. This volume focuses on the French, Spanish, and American colonial periods to understand the imprint that French socio-cultural dynamic left on the Crescent City.

The migration of Acadians to New Orleans at the time the city became a Spanish dominion and the arrival of Haitian refugees when the city became an American territory oddly reinforced its Francophone identity. However, in the process of establishing itself as an urban space in the Antebellum South, the culture of New Orleans became a liability for New Orleans elite after the Louisiana Purchase.

New Orleans and the Caribbean share numerous historical, cultural, and linguistic connections. The book analyzes these connections and the shared process of creolization occurring in New Orleans and throughout the Caribbean Basin. It suggests “French” New Orleans might be understood as a trope for unscripted “original” Creole social and cultural elements. Since being Creole came to connote African descent, the study suggests that an association with France in the minds of whites allowed for a less racially-bound and contested social order within the United States.

Genres: Research

216 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2016

Reviews

[Victoria Haugen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this thorough history of New Orleans is very comprehensive and thought-provoking, well written, and full of really interesting facts. So much went into making the city what it is today - a complicated history of politics, religion, and different and intriguing cultures..... it's fascinating. My parents are from Alabama and Mississippi, and I enjoyed listening to some southern history.

I thought the narrator did an awesome job, and I was very pleased with this audiobook. Would definitely recommend it to others :)
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[Crystal Toller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got this book from Audible when I joined one time and finally last year started listening to it. A really detailed history of the Creole people of New Orleans (both black and white). Took me quite a while to finish the book because did not always listen a lot at one time. I really enjoyed this book. Loved hearing about all the newspapers and books of the time in New Orleans. A very enjoyable listen to a history of a city I am fascinated by. Highly recommend this book.

[Deedra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned SO much from this book!The story of New Orleans being tossed back and forth between France and Spain was fascinating!Sally Martin did a fine job narrating.I was given this book by the narrator,author or publisher free for an honest review.

[William Paley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately I found the book to be a bit too turgid to try to fully read.

[Kingsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 / 5

[Maxwell Hamre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love Nola, was excited for it but it was a lil choppy, I learned a lot from it, there just wasn’t a good flow to it, looking forward to finding another good historical novel on my fav city