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I am embarking on a road trip from Boston, MA to New Orleans, LA. I am a 36 year old single mother and a high school teacher in Boston. I love my job and I can't wait to learn everything I can and bring it back home to my students.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Plantations- Not quite like Tara

Today we spent some time in Creole country looking at some of the surviving plantations in Louisiana. It was amazing, and once again I feel like my head is filled up with facts and interesting stories!

Our guide explained that Creole is actually a word that means someone who is the child of people who were settled by Europeans.  It is literally a blend of cultures.  So in LA there are French Creoles, Spanish Creoles, African Creoles and German Creoles.  In fact, Louisiana had a very significant population of free, educated African Creoles before America took over the government and banned non-English in government places.  When American ideas of slavery were imposed in LA things were even worse for the slaves in LA.

The plantation we started with is known as Laura's plantation.  It was run by four generations of Creole women.  These women did not leave their land to their eldests children or sons, but rather to their smartest children.  It was colorful and had many characteristics of a classic Creole plantation.  We then went to St. Joseph's plantation which was about 80 years younger than Laura's, and was built under the Anglo rule.  It is white washed and done in a much different style.  Lastly, we visited Oak Alley- a very large plantation nearby.  In all of these we visited slave cabins and other aspects of plantation life.  Louisiana is still one of the biggest producers of sugar, and many of these are working sugar plantations now.

Interestingly enough, in our first tour we learned that the very first stories of Brer Rabbit were recorded from slaves from Senegal right on that property.  They were written in French patois, and then that writer befriended Harris, and he wrote them in English.  Three of our stops have ended up telling me the whole history of these African folktales and all of them were amazing surprise discoveries for me!

Fats Domino was also the son of former slaves who lived on this first plantation!

 Laura's Creole Plantation

 Oak trees dating back 200+ years

 These carried olives and olive oil and were stored underground where the water kept them naturally cold.

 These markings were made by slaves who built the house.  One slave, the builder, lived in the swamps for 11 mos cutting down Cypress beams, numbering them, and setting them up back at the site using no nails, but a system of pegs and locks. 

 This is a typical room. 


 Slave quarters that remain on the property.

 A bell that was wrung daily to call the slave children to meals.  They walked seven miles twice a day just for two meals. 


 Photos that remain of former slaves.

 The seconded plantation that was built in a much more Anglo style.  Many Creole houses later switched to this style to avoid negative attention and to acclimate to the new power structure.

 We learned a lot about Creole mourning which required mirrors to be covered, clocks to be stopped, and widows to wear black for at least a year.


 In our last plantation we saw shackles made for small ankles for child slaves.


 These Oak trees are over 300 years old!

Today was fascinating, again!, and such a different view of the South.  I can't wait to share these stories with my History teacher friends!!

1 comment:

  1. SO ENVIOUS! I'd love to do a tour like this -- it looks amazing!

    ReplyDelete