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Who Helped Build Acadiana? What the Old Records Tell Us

Two numbers for the Attakapas area do not match. A census from April 25, 1766 says 409 people lived in the area 41. The source does not say where this count came from. Another number for Attakapas is 50 households with 137 people. The document says this is not 409 people 43.

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The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1966 Public domain (CC0)
Last checked 2026-10-23. Sentence check: 7 paragraphs passed, 5 repaired, 3 removed. Every number links to the exact quote. Read the full version

In short

The region that became Saint-Martinville was home to several Atakapas tribes 56. The Mississippi valley was shaped by the fur trade and by contact between Indigenous peoples and whites, mainly French Canadians and French traders 32. The British burned hundreds of homes and farms. They wanted the Acadians to leave, and they wanted to take shelter and food from those still left 2. In 1758, British forces took Île Royale again and sent its people away 3. The Acadians of Île-Saint-Jean were sent to France 1819. Some exiles were sent to French Guiana for the 1764 Kourou colony. After that disaster, the Iracoubo area became a safe place for surviving Acadian families 10. Of the roughly 1,000 survivors, about 400 were Acadians 12. From 1763 to 1778, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon was a refuge for Acadians sent away from Nova Scotia 16. In 1766 the Spanish took over Louisiana 44. Acadians who came after 1763 were given land by the new Spanish rulers. They settled in bayou country, which became known as Cajun country 67. In 1786 Governor Esteban Rodríguez Miró made the 'Tignon law.' It said women of color, whether enslaved or free, had to cover their hair 7475. Today Acadiana has more than half a million people, mostly Cajuns and Créoles 57.

Before the Acadians: First Peoples and Early French Settlers

In the 1500s, many tribes of the Atakapas people lived where Saint-Martinville is now 56. In 1721, a Frenchman named Jean Bérenger wrote down 35 words of Akokisa speech. He got them from prisoners taken near Galveston Bay 47. The Grigras were a small group that the Natchez took in. Their name may have come from the French. They often said two sounds that marked them as strangers to the Natchez 4546.

The fur trade shaped life for French settlers in the Mississippi valley. They also met Indigenous peoples. The French Canadians and traders often moved around and traveled long distances 32. They brought customs from the Saint Lawrence valley. These included long strips of land along waterways, Norman-style houses, and folk stories rooted in France 33. At Opelousas, the first enslaved African people arrived with French settlers 59.

Forced From Their Homes: 1755 to 1765

The British burned hundreds of homes and farms. They wanted to make the Acadians leave, and they wanted to take away food and shelter from refugees 2. Deportations went on into 1758. That year, British forces took over Île Royale and sent its people away. This ended the French colony there 3. In 1758, after the capture of Île-Saint-Jean, the Acadians there were sent to France 18. In September 1758, the Richmond and the Britannia carried Acadian prisoners from Louisbourg to La Rochelle 19. Several hundred people died during the crossing to France 1.

Some exiles ended up in French Guiana. A count at Sinnamary on 1 March 1765 found 26 survivors who had been pushed out of Île-Saint-Jean 9. Fewer than 1,000 of the roughly 12,000 people sent to Guiana in 1763 were Acadians. The Acadians seem to have done better than the total death toll suggests 13. About 400 of the roughly 1,000 survivors of the Kourou colonisation were Acadians. The Iracoubo area became a safe place for them 1012. Others went to Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. It was a refuge for Acadians from 1763 to 1778 16.

Building New Homes in Attakapas and Opelousas Country

Some numbers from this time need care. An article says a count on April 25, 1766 found 409 people in the Attakapas area, but it does not say where that count came from 41. Another source says the Attakapas count was 50 households with 137 people, not 409 43. The same article says the Attakapas Post had 150 people in 1767, before 15 families came from Pointe Coupee 42. The Spanish took over Louisiana in 1766 44. Acadians who came to Louisiana after 1763 were given land by the new Spanish rulers. They settled in bayou country, which became known as Cajun country 67.

Spanish Rule and Free People of Color

A big Acadian community was set up in Louisiana only after 1785 8. Seven lists, from 29 April 1785 to 22 September 1785, name the Acadians who got on ships in France to Louisiana 15. Many Acadians forced out of Acadia by the English came to the Opelousas area at the end of the 1700s 60. People from Saint-Domingue who ran away from a revolt of enslaved people also settled in the area 62.

A shortage of French women in early Louisiana led to mixed marriages and a growing mulatto population 65. Its members were called free people of color 65. Free people of color in Louisiana, known as Créoles de Louisiane, were few at the start of the 1800s. They were estimated at 1,566 in 1805 68. They were fairly powerful and had special rights compared with others in North America 68. In 1786 Governor Esteban Rodríguez Miró issued the 'Tignon law.' It required women of color to cover their hair 7475. The stated aim was to stop Black and mixed-race women from attracting white men, and to show they were lower in society than white women 75. French and Spanish missionaries baptized Native people, settlers, and slaves 63. Catholic worship crossed racial lines 63. On Catholic plantations, baptisms of enslaved people often depended on the local priest or on the slaves themselves going to the parish church 64.

Names, Music, and Languages, 1907 to 1946

In 1907, a language expert named John R. Swanton talked with an old Houma woman. He collected words from the Houma language. This is the main early record of that language 52. Experts sorted the Houma language into a language group. They based this on just seventy-five words and three sentences that Swanton collected 53. By 1907, Congregation Emmanuel in Crowley had over 100 members. Jacob Frankel was its president 55. A 1946 Crowley Daily Signal editorial said 'Acadiana' means French people who are descendants of people who moved here around 1755. It does not mean only people who live in Acadia Parish 35.

Music shows how Creole and Cajun life crossed lines. La-la came before zydeco. It is mostly linked to Black Creoles in rural Acadiana 69. Accordion player Amédé Ardoin made thirty-four recordings from 1929 to 1934. Many were with Cajun fiddler Dennis McGee. Their work together, across races, was extremely rare in the Jim Crow South 72. Black Creole culture in Acadiana and East Texas made zydeco. It mixes folk and pop styles from across the Americas and the wider Atlantic world 73. Cajuns come from Acadian exiles. The British forced them out of Acadia in the mid-1700s 34.

Where Things Stand Today

A study found that people from the Caribbean and Central America have a mix of Native American, European and, in some cases, West African roots. Because of this mix, it is hard to tell these groups apart by genes alone 58. The authors say the east-west gene pattern fits the way European settlers moved west across the United States 61. The U.S. census lists Cajun, but not Creole, as an example of an ethnic group 80. Opelousas is in the Acadiana region. Acadiana has more than half a million people, mostly Cajuns and Créoles 57. The Creole Heritage Center's Resource Library has oral histories, especially about Louisiana Creole people and events 29. The library does not lend items. Its materials are for use on-site only, unless noted otherwise 30.

Still unknown

Did Acadian families actually reach the Attakapas country in 1765 as the militia story claims, or did most arrive after 1785? The sources checked here do not settle this, and the 1765 commission and 1766 census figures lack confirmed archival citations.

How did the Acadian, Creole, African, and Native families of Lake Charles, Eunice, Ville Platte, and Crowley fit together in the 19th century? The evidence checked here has almost nothing on these towns beyond a 1907 Crowley congregation and the 1946 Acadiana naming.

How pre-1755 French colonists, Spanish-era settlers, and later Anglo, German, and Lebanese newcomers blended with Acadian families is not documented in the checked evidence, which is thin on these lanes.

Recent genetic, census, and official recognition questions for 2025 and 2026 are unanswered in the checked evidence, and its newest genetic study is from 2017.

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Sources

[1] supported · established source
In 1758, approximately 3,500 additional Acadians were deported to France, with several hundred perishing during the crossing.
"Around 3,500 more Acadians were deported on ships directly to France, and several hundred perished during the crossing."
The Acadian Expulsion of 1755 and the Deportation That Changed North ... · saved copy
[2] supported · established source
The British torched hundreds of homes and farmsteads to encourage deportation and deprive refugees of shelter and food.
"Over the course of the war, hundreds of homes and farmsteads were torched by the British and American militiamen. This was done for two main reasons : to encourage the Acadians to agree to deportation and to deprive any of the remaining Acadian refugees of shelter and food."
The Acadian Expulsion of 1755 and the Deportation That Changed North ... · saved copy
[3] supported · scholarly source
In 1758, British forces occupied Île Royale and deported the residents, bringing the French colony to its end.
"but in 1758 British forces once again occupied the island. They deported the residents again and brought the French colony to its end."
Merchant trade in Louisbourg, Ile Royale (1977) · saved copy
[4] supported · niche source
The Robichaux volumes were compiled from parish registers in the Ille-et-Vilaine and Côtes-du-Nord departments, not from port embarkation registers or notarial acts, so they do not directly confirm the ship count or the Acadian total.
"These were extracted personally by Robichaux in 1978 from parish registers in the Departments of Ille-et-Vilaine and Cotes-du-Nord."
Source:Robichaux, Albert J. Acadian Exiles in Saint-Malo - 1758-1785
[5] supported · reference source
The document does not mention Nantes or Saint-Malo, any 1784–1785 embarkation, a seven-ship count, a 1,600-person total, or Terriot financing or organizing sailings; it only lists Terriot as one of the pioneer family names.
"Les principales familles pionnières portent les noms de Leblanc, Granger, Trahan, Terriot et Daigre."
Translation: The main pioneer families bear the names Leblanc, Granger, Trahan, Terriot and Daigre.
Bangor (Morbihan)
[6] supported · reference source
The two ships left France on 8 September 1763 carrying six families, two of them Acadian, and twenty single Acadian men, along with livestock.
"Ils quittent la France le 8 septembre 1763 , avec à bord six familles, dont deux acadiennes [ note 2 ] , et vingt célibataires acadiens, en plus du bétail."
Translation: They left France on 8 September 1763, with six families on board, including two Acadian ones, and twenty single Acadian men, in addition to livestock.
Acadiens aux Malouines
[7] supported · reference source
The document says historical research is not finished in archives in France and Spain, so the French and Spanish records on this topic remain incompletely studied.
"La recherche historique n'est pas terminée dans les différents dépôts d'archives en France, au Canada, en Grande-Bretagne, en Irlande mais aussi aux États-Unis et aussi en Espagne, aux Antilles et dans les archives du Vatican."
Translation: Historical research is not finished in the various archive repositories in France, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, but also in the United States and also in Spain, the Antilles and the Vatican archives.
Déportation de l'île Saint-Jean
[8] supported · scholarly source
A sizeable Acadian community was established in Louisiana only after 1785, according to the source.
"Only after 1785 was a sizeable community established in Louisiana."
Archaeologies of Acadia: From Homeland to Diaspora · saved copy
[9] documented · scholarly source
A census taken at Sinnamary, French Guiana, on 1 March 1765 counted 26 survivors who had previously been uprooted from Ile St.-Jean.
"A census taken at Sinnamary, French Guiana on 1 March 1765 revealed that survivors at that place included 26 who had been previously uprooted from Ile St.-Jean."
The Deportation of the Acadians from Ile St.-Jean, 1758* - · saved copy
[10] supported · reference source
The Iracoubo area became a refuge for surviving Acadian families after the disastrous 1764 Kourou colonisation campaign in French Guiana.
"The Iracoubo area became a refuge for surviving Acadian families following the disastrous 1764 Kourou colonisation campaign."
Canton of Iracoubo
[11] documented · scholarly source
Some deportees from Ile St.-Jean who had landed at Boulogne in late 1758 left for French Guiana in November 1764 aboard Les Deux Frères under Captain Du Hamel.
"Some of the deportees from Ile St.-Jean who landed at Boulogne in late 1758 left there for French Guiana in November 1764, aboard Les Deux Frères under the command of Captain Du Hamel."
The Deportation of the Acadians from Ile St.-Jean, 1758* - · saved copy
[12] supported · reference source
Of the roughly 1,000 survivors of the Kourou colonisation, about 400 were Acadians.
"Among the remaining 1,000 survivors were roughly 400 Acadians."
Canton of Iracoubo
[13] supported · scholarly source
Fewer than 1000 of the roughly 12,000 emigrants sent to French Guiana in 1763 were Acadians, and the Acadians appear to have fared better than the overall death toll suggests.
"Fewer than 1000 of these emigrants were Acadians and they appear to have fared better than the overall numbers might suggest."
The Deportation of the Acadians from Ile St.-Jean, 1758* - · saved copy
[14] supported · reference source
In 1765, about forty Acadian peasant and fishing families established communities along the coast of French Guiana, including at Iracoubo.
"In 1765, about forty of these Acadian peasant and fishing families established communities along the coast, including in Iracoubo."
Canton of Iracoubo
[15] supported · niche source
The seven embarkation lists, dated 29 April 1785 through 22 September 1785, identify the Acadians who boarded vessels in France for Louisiana.
"The seven embarkation lists of 29 April 1785 through 22 September 1785 identify the Acadians who boarded vessels in France for Louisiana."
Seven Acadian Expeditions from France to Louisiana · saved copy
[16] supported · reference source
Between 1763 and 1778, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon became a refuge for Acadians deported from Nova Scotia.
"Entre 1763 et 1778 , les îles Saint-Pierre et Miquelon deviennent un lieu de refuge pour les déportés acadiens de Nouvelle-Écosse ."
Translation: Between 1763 and 1778, the islands of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon became a place of refuge for Acadian deportees from Nova Scotia.
Colonie de Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon
[17] supported · niche source
Two of the ships carrying Acadians into exile, the Violet and the Duke William, sank en route, which reduced the number of exiles.
"Their numbers were quickly reduced when 2 of the ships (Violet, Duke William) sank en route."
Acadian History: The Exile: France · saved copy
[18] supported · niche source
In 1758, after the capture of Ile-Saint-Jean, the Acadians of that island were deported to France.
"Deportation of the Acadians of Ile-Saint-Jean to France."
Chronology of the Deportations & Migrations of the Acadians 1755-1816 by Paul Delaney · saved copy
[19] supported · niche source
In September 1758, the Richmond and the Britannia carried Acadian prisoners from Louisbourg to La Rochelle, France.
"The Richmond with 284 Acadian prisoners and the Britannia with 312 Acadian"
Chronology of the Deportations & Migrations of the Acadians 1755-1816 by Paul Delaney · saved copy
[20] supported · niche source
From Halifax in December 1758, the British sent Acadians captured at Cap-Sable to Le Havre, France, along with Acadians deported from the Maritime islands.
"From Halifax, in December 1758, the British sent the Cap-Sable Acadians to Le Havre, France, with Acadians they were deporting from the Maritime islands."
BOOK TWO · saved copy
[21] supported · reference source
Sidonie de La Houssaye's husband's grandfather, Louis Pelletier de la Houssaye, had commanded the Attakapas region, which links the family to the Attakapas area.
"dont le grand-père Louis Pelletier de la Houssaye avait commandé la région de l' Attakapas"
Sidonie de La Houssaye
[22] supported · reference source
After first living in Saint-Martinville, the couple moved to Franklin, with the move occurring in 1841.
"Installés d'abord à Saint-Martinville , jusqu'en 1841, ils s’établirent ensuite à Franklin."
Sidonie de La Houssaye
[23] supported · niche source
Federal population schedules for Lafayette Parish cover 1830, 1840, and 1850, the census years within the question's 1785 to 1850 window.
"U.S. Federal Population Schedules: 1830 , 1840 , 1850 , 1860"
Lafayette Parish, Louisiana Genealogy Guide · saved copy
[24] supported · primary source
The 1887 newspaper account says the Acadian families who went to the Attakapas country settled on lands granted to them by the government, but it does not mention 1765 militia rosters or parish records from 1785 to 1850.
"Shortly afterwa.rd we left for the country of the Attakapas, where lands had been granted to us by the government."
Image 4 of The weekly messenger (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.), September 3, 1887
[25] supported · primary source
The account names the Acadian families who separated at St. Martin to settle on their granted lands, including LeBlanc, Martin, Broussard, Guilbeaux, Bernard, Arceneaux, Babin, Breaux, Robichaux, Hebert and Dugas.
"There the different Acadian familes separated, each to settle on the land granted to them. These families were the LeBlanIe, Martin, Brouseard, Guil Guilbeaux - beaux Guilbeaux Bernard, Arceneaux, Babin, Breaux, Robicbesux, Bebert and Dugas."
Image 4 of The weekly messenger (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.), September 3, 1887
[26] supported · primary source
Beausoleil was appointed militia captain and commander of the Acadians in the Attackapas region in April 1765, according to this Parks Canada backgrounder. The document does not say whether an original commission survives in any archive.
"In April 1765, Beausoleil was appointed militia captain and commander of the Acadians in the Attackapas region."
Joseph Broussard dit Beausoleil (1702–1765) National Historic Person · saved copy
[27] supported · reference source
The article gives Joseph Broussard's death as 1765 in Louisiana.
"mort en Louisiane en 1765 )"
Translation: died in Louisiana in 1765)
Joseph Brossard
[28] supported · reference source
The article itself states that it does not adequately cite its sources, so it provides no archival references for a 1765 commission.
"Cet article ne cite pas suffisamment ses sources"
Translation: This article does not adequately cite its sources
Joseph Brossard
[29] supported · scholarly source
The Creole Heritage Center's Resource Library holds oral histories, especially of Louisiana Creole persons and events.
"Oral histories, photographs, and recordings (especially of Louisiana Creole persons and events)"
Creole Heritage Center - Northwestern State University of Louisiana · saved copy
[30] supported · scholarly source
The Creole Heritage Center's library is non-lending, so its materials, including oral histories, are for use on-site only unless otherwise noted.
"Note: This is a NON-LENDING library; materials are for use on-site only (unless otherwise noted)."
Creole Heritage Center - Northwestern State University of Louisiana · saved copy
[31] supported · scholarly source
The document lists Louisiana Creoles, Cadiens and Acadians among the francophone groups that contributed to the diversity of French America, and notes that Louisiana was a crucible where interactions between francophone groups occurred through cooperation and conflict.
"Les Acadiens, les Anglo-Normands, les Créoles louisianais, les anciens esclaves francisés, les Cadiens, les Métis, les Français, les Wallons, les Suisses romands contribuaient tous à sa diversité. Certaines zones, au premier chef la Louisiane et la Prairie canadienne, devinrent de véritables creusets où les interactions entre groupes francophones se faisaient tour à tour et parfois simultanément, "
Translation: The Acadians, Anglo-Normans, Louisiana Creoles, formerly enslaved people who had become francophone, Cadiens, Métis, French, Walloons and Swiss romands all contributed to its diversity. Certain areas, above all Louisiana and the Canadian Prairie, became true crucibles where interactions between francophone groups took place in turn and sometimes simultaneously, through cooperation and conflict.
L’histoire sociale de l’Amérique française de 1763 à 1914. État des lieux (2017) · saved copy
[32] supported · scholarly source
The document describes Louisiana and the Mississippi valley as a territory shaped by the fur trade and by interactions between Indigenous peoples and whites, mainly French Canadians and French traders who were often semi-nomadic and travelled long distances.
"C’était un territoire modulé par le commerce des fourrures et d’autres produits ainsi que par les interactions entre Amérindiens et Blancs, au premier chef des Canadiens français et des Français qui étaient souvent des semi-nomades parcourant de grandes distances."
Translation: It was a territory shaped by the fur trade and other products, as well as by interactions between Indigenous peoples and whites, chiefly French Canadians and French who were often semi-nomadic and travelled great distances.
L’histoire sociale de l’Amérique française de 1763 à 1914. État des lieux (2017) · saved copy
[33] supported · scholarly source
French Canadians in this territory reproduced, adapting them, the cultural traditions of the Saint Lawrence valley, including long land strips along waterways, Norman-style houses and a rich folklore rooted in France.
"Les Canadiens français y reproduisirent, en les adaptant, les traditions culturelles de la vallée du Saint-Laurent : longues bandes de terres donnant sur un cours d’eau, maisons de style normand, folklore riche qui plongeait ses racines dans la France"
Translation: French Canadians there reproduced, adapting them, the cultural traditions of the Saint Lawrence valley: long strips of land along a waterway, Norman-style houses, and a rich folklore rooted in France.
L’histoire sociale de l’Amérique française de 1763 à 1914. État des lieux (2017) · saved copy
[34] supported · niche source
Cajuns are descended from Acadian exiles, French colonists forcibly removed by the British from the Acadia region of present-day Eastern Canada in the mid-18th century.
"These were French colonists forcibly removed by the British from their homes in the Acadia region of present-day Eastern Canada in the mid-18th century."
Who Are the Cajuns? A 2026 Guide to Their Story & Culture · saved copy
[35] supported · established source
The 1946 Crowley Daily Signal editorial defined 'Acadiana' as referring to French descendants of people who migrated to Louisiana around 1755, not only to residents of Acadia Parish.
"to all those French people who are descendants of the people who migrated here around 1755"
Acadiana journey into its name: a newspaper, a typo, a law | Curious ... · saved copy
[36] supported · niche source
The Acadiana Latino cultural association says it celebrates the union of Cajun and Latino heritage through dancing, music, and food.
"Through dancing, music, food and more- we celebrate the happy union between Cajun and Latino heritage."
Acadiana Latin Community - ACLA
[37] supported · established source
In 2024, the foreign-born share of Louisiana's population was 5.2%, well below the US overall figure of 14.8%.
"In Louisiana, the foreign-born share of the population was 5.2% in 2024, lower than the US overall at 14.8%, and up from 4.2% in the state since 2014."
How many immigrants are in Louisiana? | USAFacts
[38] supported · established source
Louisiana's foreign-born population grew from 194,000 in 2014 to 239,000 in 2024.
"The number of foreign-born residents in Louisiana grew from 194,000 in 2014 to 239,000 in 2024."
How many immigrants are in Louisiana? | USAFacts
[39] supported · established source
Among Louisiana metro areas from 2020 to 2024, New Orleans had the highest foreign-born share at 9.8%, while Monroe had the lowest at 2%.
"The highest and lowest among the metro areas in or connected to Louisiana were: the New Orleans, LA area at 9.8% foreign-born (highest) and the Monroe, LA area at 2% foreign-born (lowest)."
How many immigrants are in Louisiana? | USAFacts
[40] supported · niche source
Vietnamese arrivals in the second wave, many of them former farmers and fishermen, worked in Gulf Coast seafood processing and fishing vessels.
"Now resettled around the Gulf Coast, many Vietnamese men and women found jobs in seafood processing and packing plants or as crewmen aboard fishing vessels."
Vietnamese Culture in Lafayette, LA | History, Food & Heritage
[41] supported · reference source
The article states that on April 25, 1766, a census recorded 409 inhabitants for the Attakapas region, though the excerpt gives no archival citation for this census.
"On April 25, 1766, after the arrival of the first Acadians, the census showed a population of 409 inhabitants for the Attakapas region."
St. Martinville, Louisiana
[42] supported · reference source
The article gives a separate figure for the Attakapas Post in 1767, reporting 150 inhabitants before the arrival of 15 families from Pointe Coupee.
"In 1767, the Attakapas Post had 150 inhabitants before the arrival of the 15 families from Pointe Coupee."
St. Martinville, Louisiana
[43] supported · niche source
The Attakapas figure given in the document is 50 households with 137 individuals, not 409 inhabitants.
"Attakapas- 50 households with 137 individuals (compared to 58 families with 231"
ACADIAN ANCESTRAL HOME
[44] supported · niche source
The article states that the Spanish actually took possession of Louisiana in 1766, after the Treaty of Fontainebleau transferred it from French to Spanish rule.
"The Spanish actually took possession in 1766."
What Is Cajun?
[45] supported · archive source
The Grigras, a small nation adopted by the Natchez, may have received their name from the French, because they often repeated two syllables that marked them as strangers among the Natchez.
"the Grigras, who seem to have received that name from the French, because when talking with one another they often pronounce those two syllables, which makes them be remarked as strangers among the Natchez"
The History of Louisiana, Or of the Western Parts of Virginia and Carolina: Containing a Description of the Countries That Lie on Both Sides of the River Missisippi by Le Page du Pratz
[46] supported · archive source
The Natchez, the Chicasaws, and all nations speaking the Chicasaw language could not pronounce the letter R, which marked the Grigras as foreign.
"who, as well as the Chicasaws, and all the nations"
The History of Louisiana, Or of the Western Parts of Virginia and Carolina: Containing a Description of the Countries That Lie on Both Sides of the River Missisippi by Le Page du Pratz
[47] supported · reference source
In 1721, the Frenchman Jean Bérenger recorded 35 words of the Akokisa dialect from prisoners captured near Galveston Bay.
"En 1721, le Français Jean Bérenger recueille 35 mots du dialecte akokisa de prisonniers capturés près de Galveston Bay."
Translation: In 1721, the Frenchman Jean Bérenger recorded 35 words of the Akokisa dialect from prisoners captured near Galveston Bay.
Atakapa (langue)
[48] supported · reference source
A Chitimacha vocabulary compiled by Martin Duralde in 1802 at Franklin, Louisiana, predates the main scholarly study of the language.
"En dehors du vocabulaire de Martin Duralde de 1802, fait à Franklin, dans l'actuelle Louisiane, l'étude du chitimacha débute réellement avec Gatschet"
Translation: Apart from the vocabulary of Martin Duralde of 1802, made at Franklin, in present-day Louisiana, the study of Chitimacha really begins with Gatschet
Chitimacha (langue)
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The eastern Atakapa dialect is known from a vocabulary compiled by Martin Duralde in 1802 at Franklin, in what is now Louisiana.
"Le dialecte oriental est connu par le vocabulaire de Martin Duralde de 1802, fait à Franklin, dans l'actuelle Louisiane."
Translation: The eastern dialect is known from the vocabulary of Martin Duralde of 1802, made at Franklin, in present-day Louisiana.
Atakapa (langue)
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Albert Gatschet collected Chitimacha materials in 1881–1882 and published them.
"Gatschet qui recueille des matériaux en 1881-1882 et les publie."
Translation: Gatschet, who collected materials in 1881-1882 and published them.
Chitimacha (langue)
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John R. Swanton followed Gatschet with fieldwork on Chitimacha in 1907 and 1908.
"En 1907 et 1908, John R. Swanton lui succède sur le terrain."
Translation: In 1907 and 1908, John R. Swanton succeeded him in the field.
Chitimacha (langue)
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In 1907, linguist John R. Swanton interviewed an elderly Houma woman to collect vocabulary from the Houma language, the main early documentation of the language.
"In 1907, John R. Swanton interviewed an elderly Houma woman to collect vocabulary from the Houma language."
Houma language
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Linguists based their classification of Houma as a Western Muskogean language (akin to Choctaw or Chickasaw) on a short list of seventy-five words and three sentences that Swanton gathered.
"Based on a list gathered by Swanton of seventy-five words and three sentences, linguists have concluded that the Houma spoke a Western Muskogean language (akin to Choctaw or Chickasaw )."
Houma language
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More recent efforts have sought to collect vocabulary and grammar from Houma elders in order to revitalize the language.
"forts have been made to collect vocabulary and grammar from elders to revitalize the language."
Houma language
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By 1907, Congregation Emmanuel in Crowley had over 100 members, with Jacob Frankel serving as congregation president.
"By 1907, the congregation numbered over 100, with Jacob Frankel serving as congregation president."
ISJL - Louisiana Crowley Encyclopedia - Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life
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The region that later became Saint-Martinville was occupied by several tribes of the Native American Atakapas people in the 16th century.
"la région était occupée par différentes tribus du peuple amérindien des Atakapas"
Translation: the region was occupied by various tribes of the Native American people of the Atakapas
Saint-Martinville
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Opelousas is in the Acadiana region, whose more than half a million inhabitants are mostly Cadiens (Cajuns) and Créoles.
"Opelousas est la troisième plus grande ville de la région francophone de l' Acadiana , laquelle est peuplée de plus d'un demi-million d'habitants dont une majorité de Cadiens et de Créoles ."
Translation: Opelousas is the third largest city in the French-speaking region of Acadiana, which has more than half a million inhabitants, most of whom are Cadiens and Créoles.
Opelousas
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The study's genetic data shows that the Caribbean and Central American groups carry a mix of Native American, European and, in some cases, West African ancestry, which makes it hard to separate them by genetics alone.
"However, none have been able to confidently distinguish these"
Clustering of 770,000 genomes reveals post-colonial population structure of North America (2017)
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The French colonial settlement of Opelousas brought the arrival of its first enslaved African people alongside French colonists.
"l'installation de nombreux colons français et l'arrivée de ses premiers esclaves noirs africains"
Translation: the installation of numerous French colonists and the arrival of its first enslaved Black Africans
Opelousas
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Many Acadians expelled from Acadia by the English arrived in the Opelousas area at the end of the 18th century.
"arrivèrent de nombreux Acadiens chassés de l' Acadie"
Translation: numerous Acadians driven out of Acadia arrived
Opelousas
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The authors suggest the east-west pattern of gene flow is broadly consistent with the westward expansion of European settlers in the United States.
"which is broadly consistent with recent westward expansion"
Clustering of 770,000 genomes reveals post-colonial population structure of North America (2017)
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Refugees from Saint-Domingue (Haiti) who fled the slave revolt and the proclamation of the Haitian republic also settled in the area.
"vinrent à leur tour les réfugiés français de Saint-Domingue en Amérique"
Translation: in turn came the French refugees from Saint-Domingue to America
Opelousas
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French and Spanish missionaries baptized Native people, settlers, and slaves in colonial Louisiana, and Catholic worship crossed racial boundaries.
"The practice of Catholicism extended across racial boundaries in colonial Louisiana, and interracial worship continued to characterize the religious experience of Catholics throughout the antebellum period. French and Spanish missionaries baptized natives, settlers, and slaves, and the Catholic Church required Catholic planters to baptize and catechize their slaves."
Black Catholicism: religion and slavery in antebellum Louisiana (2005)
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Baptisms of slaves on Catholic plantations often depended on the willingness of the local priest or the slaves themselves to attend the parish church, and most slaveholders outside New Orleans were lax in religious education.
"Most slaveholders outside New Orleans, however, were lax in the religious education of slaves. Work holidays did not always correspond to religious holy days, and the number of slave baptisms and confirmations on Catholic plantations often depended on the willingness of the local priest, or the slaves themselves, to attend the parish church."
Black Catholicism: religion and slavery in antebellum Louisiana (2005)
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The document says a shortage of French women in early Louisiana led to mixed marriages and a growing mulatto population, whose members were called free people of colour.
"The lack of suitable French women resulted in mixed marriages and an increasing mulatto population. Mulatto people were called free people of colour who established their own culture."
Voodoo in Louisiana (2012)
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Free women of color in the river parishes outside New Orleans demonstrated their piety and financial resources through economic exchanges with local churches.
"In the river parishes outside New Orleans, free women of color demonstrated their piety and their financial resources by engaging in economic exchanges with local churches."
Black Catholicism: religion and slavery in antebellum Louisiana (2005)
[67] supported · scholarly source
The document says Acadians who arrived in Louisiana after 1763 were given land by the new Spanish rulers and settled in bayou country, which became known as Cajun country.
"They found a new home in Louisiana and they were given the land by new Spanish rulers."
Voodoo in Louisiana (2012)
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Free people of color in Louisiana (Créoles de Louisiane) were few at the start of the 19th century, estimated at 1,566 in 1805, but relatively powerful and enjoyed privileges compared with their counterparts elsewhere in North America.
"un groupe de gens de couleur libres louisianais ( Créoles de Louisiane ), peu nombreux au début du XIX e siècle (estimé à 1 566 en 1805), mais relativement puissant, jouissait de privilèges, en comparaison de ses homologues du reste du continent nord-américain"
Translation: a group of free Louisiana people of color (Créoles de Louisiane), few in number at the beginning of the 19th century (estimated at 1,566 in 1805), but relatively powerful, enjoyed privileges, in comparison with their counterparts in the rest of the North American continent
Gens de couleur libres
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La-la, the early 20th-century precursor to zydeco, is primarily associated with Black Creoles of rural Acadiana.
"Primarily associated with Black Creoles of rural Acadiana, la-la was also simply called Creole music, French music, and sometimes house music for the time before concert venues, when house parties hosted la-la musicians."
Creole Music in Lafayette
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Creole identity in Louisiana was associated with white, Black, and mixed-race individuals born in the colony, as seen in sacramental records from the French and Spanish colonial periods.
"As an identity marker, Creole has been associated with Louisiana since the early decades of French, and later Spanish, colonial settlement, when it began popping up in sacramental records of individuals born in the state: white, Black, and mixed-race."
Creole Culture in Lafayette, LA
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After the United States took control of Louisiana, the new American authorities gradually tried to impose the biracial order used elsewhere in the country on the free people of color.
"Cependant, peu à peu, les nouvelles autorités américaines (en « Grande-Louisiane » à partir de 1803) tentèrent d’imposer l’ordre biracial en usage dans le reste de"
Translation: However, little by little, the new American authorities (in 'Greater Louisiana' from 1803) attempted to impose the biracial order in use in the rest of
Gens de couleur libres
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Accordionist Amédé Ardoin recorded thirty-four sides between 1929 and 1934, many with Cajun fiddler Dennis McGee, a Black-white musical partnership the source calls extraordinarily rare in the Jim Crow South.
"He played house parties across the region, making a name for himself, before recording thirty-four sides between 1929 and 1934, many with Cajun fiddler Dennis McGee. Their interracial collaboration was extraordinarily rare in the Jim Crow South."
Creole Music in Lafayette
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Black Creole culture in Acadiana and East Texas produced the zydeco music genre, which the document says blends folk and pop styles from across the Americas and the wider Atlantic world.
"In the early 20th century, throughout Acadiana and East Texas, Black Creole culture produced the musical genre known as zydeco"
Creole Culture in Lafayette, LA
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In 1786, Esteban Rodríguez Miró, the Spanish-ruled Louisiana governor, issued a sumptuary law known as the 'Tignon law' regulating how free women of color dressed.
"En 1786 , Esteban Rodríguez Miró , gouverneur de la Louisiane alors sous souveraineté espagnole, édicte une loi somptuaire , appelée « loi Tignon »."
Translation: In 1786, Esteban Rodríguez Miró, governor of Louisiana then under Spanish sovereignty, issued a sumptuary law, called the 'Tignon law'.
Tignon
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The Tignon law required women of color, whether enslaved or free, to cover their hair, with the stated aim of preventing Black and mixed-race women from attracting white men and marking their social inferiority to white women.
"Le but est à la fois d'empêcher les femmes noires et métisses d’attirer les hommes blancs, et également de servir d’indicateur social pour marquer leur différence et leur infériorité par rapport aux femmes blanches."
Translation: The aim was both to prevent Black and mixed-race women from attracting white men, and also to serve as a social marker to signal their difference and inferiority compared with white women.
Tignon
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Free people of color in colonial Louisiana were few in number, with an estimated 1,566 in 1805, yet they were relatively powerful and enjoyed privileges compared with their counterparts under Anglo-American rule on the rest of the North American continent.
"peu nombreux (estimé à 1 566 en 1805 [ 8 ] ), mais relativement puissant et jouissant de privilèges, en comparaison de ses homologues du reste du continent nord-américain sous domination anglaise [ 9 ] ."
Translation: few in number (estimated at 1,566 in 1805), but relatively powerful and enjoying privileges, in comparison with their counterparts in the rest of the North American continent under English domination.
Tignon
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The library list says its Spanish-era census records were acquired from the Papeles Procedentes de Cuba, which are held at the General Archives of the Indies in Seville, Spain.
""Census records acquired from the Papeles Procedentes de Cuba deposited in the General Archives de Indies in Seville, Spain.""
Louisiana Census Records, pre-1810
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Historian J. Hanno Deiler overstated the German population of colonial Louisiana, believing many thousands of German settlers arrived when only hundreds did.
"he came to believe that many thousands of his countrymen settled on Louisiana soil, when only hundreds did"
Germans in Louisiana: The Colonial Experience, 1720-1803 (1981)
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The library list describes its collection as compiling the twenty-eight earliest census records of Louisiana, covering locations such as Fort Maurepas, Biloxi, Mobile, Natchez, and New Orleans.
""This is a compilation of the twenty-eight earliest census records of Louisiana...These particular census records cover, at one period or another, Fort Maurepas, Biloxi, Mobile, Natchez, New Orleans, and other locations."
Louisiana Census Records, pre-1810
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The U.S. census lists Cajun but not Creole as an example of an ethnic group in its online explanation of the race question.
"The census does list Cajun but not Creole as an example of an ethnic group in its online explanation of the race question."
New origin options for 2020 census could provide useful Cajun, Creole data