La Capitale

 Baton Rouge = Red Stick
 This marked the area between two Native American
tribes and the French.
L’Histoire de la Louisiane

 Who founded the area?
 The French; René Robert Cavalier de la Salle
claimed it for France.
 What is the origin of the name?
 Named in honor of King Louis XIV
 How did the U.S. obtain it?
 In 1803 France (Napoleon) sold it to the U.S. for
$15 million in the Louisiana Purchase, which
doubled the size of the U.S.
The Louisiana Purchase

L’Histoire des Acadiens

How did the whole thing begin?
1604

 People from western
France came to Nova
Scotia, which was
called Acadia (Acadie)
at the time.
What changed it all?
1713

 France gave Acadia to the British (due to a lost
battle)
 Acadia became a British colony.
 The Acadians (who were French and had founded
the area) refused to swear allegiance to the British
crown.
How did it get worse?
1755

 The British governor was fed up with the Acadians
not cooperating, so…
 …he decided to expel them…
 Villages were attacked, people were imprisoned,
houses were burned. Families were separated and
put on boats, first men and then women and
children.
 This was one of the cruelest events in Canadian
history.
How did it end up?
1760

 Acadians bounced down
the east coast (Virginia,
Georgia, the Antilles) but
did not stop. Why?
 They were British
colonies!
 They ended up in Haiti
and Louisiana. Why?
 They were French
colonies!
How did it end up?
1760

 The Acadians rebuilt their community in Louisiana.
 Other immigrants (German, Spanish, English,
Blacks) became adopted Acadians.
 Now close to 1 million Acadians in la Louisiane.
 The Créoles were already there from (Part I) and the
Caribbean in the cities.
Cajuns

 A changed form of the French word “acadien”; the Créoles
couldn’t pronounce it.
 These people came from Acadia (Acadie).
 Settled in the bayous.
Créole

 A blend of French, Spanish, African, and American
Indian language and food.
 These people are from the Caribbean and France.
 Arrived in Louisiana first.
 Settled in the cities.
 http://www.frenchcreoles.com
How does each group make
their living?

 Cajuns
 Fishing and farming
 Créoles
 Tourism and regular jobs
Language

 A distinct variation of French
 A blend of Créole, French, and American Indian
 Dying language now, the teachers aren’t French.
Older people are upset about it because they don’t
want to lose their culture.
Recipe for a Cajun Accent

Chop the g off the words that end with ing.
Looking becomes lookin’; pinching becomes pinchin’.
Substitute all long i sounds and short a sounds with ah.
Time becomes tahm; half becomes hahf.
Sift out the hard consonants at the ends of words.
Told becomes tol’; best becomes bes’.
Boil all th sounds till the h evaporates.
Throughout becomes t’roughout; Thing becomes t’ing.
Finely dice “correct grammar” to a pulp. Stir in a lilt, and add a pinch of music to the voice.
Simmer into a rich stew. Spice with humor, a relish for festivity, a love for relaxation, and a dash
of dramatic. Cook at approximately 80 to 90ºF.
Bon appétit!
Les Choses Uniques
(Unique Things)

 A. There are no counties, people live in Parishes
(from Roman Catholic France).
 B. The laws are based on Napoleonic code, not
British common law.
 French Influences: Catholic religion, language,
holidays, festivals, some food.
New Orléans

city settled; the largest city
 1st
 What is it called by the natives?
Nawlins
 Le Vieux Carré?
 Literally means “The Old Square”= The French
Quarter; was originally a walled city.
 Bourbon Street is the heart of the French Quarter.
3 Biggest Attractions

 Food
 Music
 Mardi Gras
Food

 En général
 Seafood—crawfish (mudbugs), catfish, frog’s legs,
alligator
 Beignets
 Po’ Boys
 Spicy!
Food

 Cajun (Poor)
 Rice, gumbo, jambalaya
 Blackened with Cajun spices to cover poor quality or
taste
Food

 Classic French (créoles & the rich)
 French Revolution—chopped off heads; chefs needed
jobs
 1800’s—massive slave rebellion in Caribbean; owners
fled to New Orleans and needed chefs.
Music

 Birthplace of Jazz
 Zydeco = accordian, fiddle, washboard; a blend of
créole, cajun and african traditions.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHlHt7Djcg0
La Nouvelle Orléans

 What would you see if you went there?
 Mardi Gras World
 St. Louis Cathedral
 Street artists
 fortune tellers, palm readers, caricature artists, clowns,
jugglers…
 Architecture
 balconies and wrought iron balconies
 Cemeteries
 Can’t be buried, would be below sea level!
Mardi Gras World

St. Louis Cathedral

Architecture

Cemeteries

La Nouvelle Orléans

 What to watch out for!
 Very high crime, especially in cemetaries and during
Mardi Gras
 Murder capital of America 
Mardi Gras
