The Creoles of color are a historic ethnic group of

Creole people Creole peoples are ethnic groups formed during the European colonial era, from the mass displacement of peoples brought into sustained contact with others from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds, who converged onto a colonial ter ...

that developed in the former

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

and Spanish colonies of

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is bord ...

(especially in the city of

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

, Alabama, and Northwestern Florida i.e. Pensacola, Florida in what is now the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

. French colonists in Louisiana first used the term "Creole" to refer to people born in the colony, rather than in France. The term "Creoles of color" was typically applied to

mixed-race Mixed race people are people of more than one race or ethnicity. A variety of terms have been used both historically and presently for mixed race people in a variety of contexts, including ''multiethnic'', ''polyethnic'', occasionally ''bi-eth ...

Creoles born from the

and Spanish settlers intermarrying with

Africans African or Africans may refer to: * Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa: ** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa *** Ethn ...

or from

manumitted Manumission, or enfranchisement, is the act of freeing enslaved people by their enslavers. Different approaches to manumission were developed, each specific to the time and place of a particular society. Historian Verene Shepherd states that t ...

slaves, forming a class of ''Gens de couleur libres'' (

free people of color In the context of the history of slavery in the Americas, free people of color (French: ''gens de couleur libres''; Spanish: ''gente de color libre'') were primarily people of mixed African, European, and Native American descent who were not ...

). Today, many of these Creoles of color have assimilated into Black culture, while some chose to remain a separate yet inclusive subsection of the

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

ethnic group.

Historical Context

''Créole'' is derived from latin and means to "create", and was first used in the "New World" by the Portuguese to describe local goods and products, but was later used by the Spanish during colonial occupation to mean any native inhabitant of the New World. The term ''Créole'' was first used by French colonists to distinguish themselves from foreign-born settlers, and later as distinct from

Anglo-American Anglo-Americans are people who are English-speaking inhabitants of Anglo-America. It typically refers to the nations and ethnic groups in the Americas that speak English as a native language, making up the majority of people in the world who spe ...

settlers. ''Créole'' referred to people born in Louisiana whose ancestors were not born in the territory. Colonial documents show that the term ''Créole'' was used variously at different times to refer to

white people White is a racialized classification of people and a skin color specifier, generally used for people of European origin, although the definition can vary depending on context, nationality, and point of view. Description of populations as ...

people, and

black people Black is a racialized classification of people, usually a political and skin color-based category for specific populations with a mid to dark brown complexion. Not all people considered "black" have dark skin; in certain countries, often in ...

, both free-born and enslaved. The "of color" is considered a necessary qualifier, as "Creole"(''Créole)'' did not convey any racial connotation. During French colonization, social order was divided into three distinct categories: Creole aristocrats (''grands habitants''); a prosperous, educated group of multi-racial Creoles of European, African and Native American descent (''

bourgeoisie The bourgeoisie ( , ) is a social class, equivalent to the middle or upper middle class. They are distinguished from, and traditionally contrasted with, the proletariat by their affluence, and their great cultural and financial capital. Th ...

''); and the far larger class of African slaves and Creole peasants (''petits habitants''). French Law regulated interracial conduct within the colony. An example of such laws are the Louisiana

Code Noir The (, ''Black code'') was a decree passed by the French King Louis XIV in 1685 defining the conditions of slavery in the French colonial empire. The decree restricted the activities of free people of color, mandated the conversion of all e ...

. Though interracial relations were legally forbidden, or heavily restricted, they were not uncommon.

Mixed-race Mixed race people are people of more than one race or ethnicity. A variety of terms have been used both historically and presently for mixed race people in a variety of contexts, including ''multiethnic'', ''polyethnic'', occasionally ''bi-eth ...

Creoles of color became identified as a distinct ethnic group, '' Gens de couleur libres'' ( free persons of color), and were granted their free-person status by the Louisiana Supreme Court in 1810. Some have suggested certain social markers of creole identity as being of Catholic faith, having a strong work ethic, being an avid fan of literature, and being fluent in French-- standard French, Creole and Cajun are all considered acceptable versions of the French language. For many, being a descendant of the ''Gens de couleur libres'' is an identity marker specific to Creoles of color. Many Creoles of color were free-born, and their descendants often enjoyed many of the same privileges that whites did, including (but not limited to) property ownership, formal education, and service in the militia. During the

antebellum Antebellum, Latin for "before war", may refer to: United States history * Antebellum South, the pre-American Civil War period in the Southern United States ** Antebellum Georgia ** Antebellum South Carolina ** Antebellum Virginia * Antebellum ar ...

period, their society was structured along class lines and they tended to marry within their group. While it was not illegal, it was a social taboo for Creoles of color to marry slaves and it was a rare occurrence. Some of the wealthier and prosperous Creoles of color owned slaves themselves. Other Creoles of color, such as

Thomy Lafon Thomy Lafon (December 28, 1810– December 23, 1893) was a Creole of color teacher, businessman, and philanthropist in New Orleans. Biography He was born free on December 28, 1810, to a mixed-race, francophone family. His mother, Modeste Fo ...

, used their social position to support the abolitionist cause. Another Creole of color, wealthy planter Francis E. Dumas, emancipated all of his slaves in 1863 and organized them into a company in the Second Regiment of the Louisiana Native Guards, in which he served as an officer.

Migration

First Wave

The first wave of creole migration occurred between 1840 and 1890 with the majority of migrants fleeing to ethnic-dominant outskirts of larger US cities and abroad where race was more fluid.

Second Wave

The reclassification of Creoles of color as black prompted the second migratory wave of Creoles of color between 1920 and 1940.

Military

Creoles of Color had been members of the militia for decades under both French and Spanish control of the colony of

. For example, around 80 free Creoles of Color were recruited into the militia that participated in the Battle of Baton Rouge in 1779. 69 After the United States made the

Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase (french: Vente de la Louisiane, translation=Sale of Louisiana) was the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. In return for fifteen million dollars, or ap ...

in 1803 and acquired the large territory west of the Mississippi, the Creoles of color in New Orleans volunteered their services and pledged their loyalty to their new country. They also took an oath of loyalty to William C. C. Claiborne, the Louisiana Territorial Governor appointed by President

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...

. Months after the colony became part of the United States, Claiborne's administration was faced with a dilemma previously unknown in the U.S.; integration in the military by incorporating entire units of previously established "colored" militia. In a February 20, 1804 letter, Secretary of War Henry Dearborn wrote to Claiborne saying, "…it would be prudent not to increase the Corps, but to diminish, if it could be done without giving offense…" A decade later, the militia of color that remained volunteered to take up arms when the British began landing troops on American soil outside of New Orleans in December 1814. This was the commencement of the

Battle of New Orleans The Battle of New Orleans was fought on January 8, 1815 between the British Army under Major General Sir Edward Pakenham and the United States Army under Brevet Major General Andrew Jackson, roughly 5 miles (8 km) southeast of the Frenc ...

. After the

, many Creoles of color lost their favorable social status, despite their service to the militia and their social status prior to the U.S. takeover. The territory and New Orleans became the destination of many migrants from the United States, as well as new immigrants. Migrants from the South imposed their

caste system Caste is a form of social stratification characterised by endogamy, hereditary transmission of a style of life which often includes an occupation, ritual status in a hierarchy, and customary social interaction and exclusion based on cultural ...

. In this new caste system, all people with African ancestry or visible African features were classified as black, and therefore categorized as second class citizens, regardless of their education, property ownership, or previous status in French society. Former free Creoles of Color were relegated to the ranks of

emancipated slaves Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The British ...

A notable creole family was that of

Andrea Dimitry Andrea Dimitry (January 1775 – March 1, 1852), also known as Andrea Drussakis Dimitry, was a Greek refugee who migrated to New Orleans. He was a merchant and hero in the War of 1812. He married Marianne Céleste Dragon a Louisiana creole woma ...

. Dimitry was a Greek immigrant who married Marianne Céleste Dragon a woman of African and Greek ancestry around 1799. Their son creole author and educator Alexander Dimitry was the first person of color to represent the United States as Ambassador to

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

and

Nicaragua Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the coun ...

. He was also the first superintendent of schools in Louisiana.

's children were upper-class elite creole. They were mostly educated at Georgetown University. One of his daughters married into the English royal House of Stuart. Some of the creole children were prominent members of the Confederate Government during the American Civil War."Louise Pecquet du Bellet"
''Some Prominent Virginia Families Vol. 4'' Lynchburg, VA: J.P. Bell Company Inc. 1907: p. 188

Activism

With the advantage of having been better educated than the new

freedmen A freedman or freedwoman is a formerly enslaved person who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, enslaved people were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their captor-owners), emancipation (granted freedom ...

, many Creoles of color were active in the struggle for

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life ...

and served in political office during Reconstruction, helping to bring freedmen into the political system. During late

Reconstruction Reconstruction may refer to: Politics, history, and sociology * Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company *''Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Unio ...

, white Democrats regained political control of state legislatures across the former Confederate states by intimidation of blacks and other Republicans at the polls. Through the late nineteenth century, they worked to impose white supremacy under

Jim Crow laws The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States. Other areas of the United States were affected by formal and informal policies of segregation as well, but many states outside the S ...

and customs. They disfranchised the majority of blacks, especially by creating barriers to voter registration through devices such as poll taxes, literacy tests, grandfather clauses, etc., stripping African Americans, including Creoles of color, of political power. Creoles of color were among the African Americans who were limited when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the case of '' Plessy v. Ferguson'' in 1896, deciding that "separate but equal" accommodations were constitutional. It permitted states to impose Jim Crow rules on federal railways and later interstate buses. On June 14, 2013 Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal signed into law Act 276, creating the "prestige" license plate stating "I'm Creole", in honor of the Creoles' contributions, culture, and heritage.

Education

It was common for wealthy francophone Gens de couleur to study in Europe, with some opting to not return due to greater liberties in France. When not educated abroad, or in whites-only schools in the United States by virtue of passing, Creoles of color were often homeschooled or enrolled in private schools. These private schools were often financed and staffed by affluent Creoles of color. For example, '' L'Institute Catholique'' was financed by Madame Marie Couvent with writers Armand Lanusse and Jonnai Questy serving as educators. In 1850 it was determined that 80% of all Gens de couleur libres were literate; a figure significantly higher than the white population of Louisiana at the time.

Contribution to the arts

Literature

During the antebellum period, well-educated francophone gens de couleur libres contributed extensively to literary collections, such as ''Les Cenelles,'' with a significant portion of these works dedicated to describing the conditions of their enslaved compatriots. One example of such texts is ''Le Mulatre (The Mulatto)'' by Victor Séjour, a Creole of color. Other themes approached aspects of love, religion and many texts were likened to French romanticism. In daily newspapers locally and abroad, pieces written by Creoles of color were prominent. Even during the ban on racial commentary during the antebellum period, pieces written by these creoles reformulated existing french themes to subtly critique race relations in Louisiana, while still gaining in popularity among all readers.

Music

Some Creoles of color trained as classical musicians in 19th-century Louisiana. These musicians would often study with those associated with the French Opera House; some traveled to

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

to complete their studies. Creole composers of that time are discussed in ''

Music and Some Highly Musical People ''Music and Some Highly Musical People'' is a history of African-American music by James Monroe Trotter first published in 1878. It represents perhaps the first attempt to assess American music across multiple genres in a single volume. The boo ...

'' by

James Monroe Trotter James Monroe Trotter (February 7, 1842 – February 26, 1892) was an American teacher, soldier, employee of the United States Post Office Department, a music historian, and Recorder of Deeds in Washington, D.C. Born into slavery in Mississippi, h ...

, and ''Nos Hommes et Notre Histoire'' by Rodolphe Lucien Desdunes.

Notable classical Creole musicians

*Basile Barès * Edmund Dédé *Laurent Dubuclet *

Louis Moreau Gottschalk Louis Moreau Gottschalk (May 8, 1829 – December 18, 1869) was an American composer and pianist, best known as a virtuoso performer of his own romantic piano works. He spent most of his working career outside the United States. Life and c ...

* Lucien-Léon Guillaume Lambert * Charles Lucien Lambert * Sidney Lambert * Victor-Eugene McCarty *Samuel Snaër

Jazz musicians

Creoles of color from the New Orleans area were active in defining the earliest days of jazz.Scott DeVeaux, Gary Giddins
Jazz
wwnorton.com, Accessed November 22, 2013 Some of the most notable names: *

Vernel Fournier Vernel Anthony Fournier (July 30, 1928 – November 4, 2000) and, from 1975, known as Amir Rushdan, was an American jazz drummer probably best known for his work with Ahmad Jamal from 1956 to 1962. Biography Fournier was born in New Orleans, ...

* George Baquet * Paul Barbarin * Louis Barbarin * Danny Barker * Emile Barnes * Paul Barnes * Sidney Bechet *

Barney Bigard Albany Leon "Barney" Bigard (March 3, 1906 – June 27, 1980) was an American jazz clarinetist known for his 15-year tenure with Duke Ellington. He also played tenor saxophone. Biography Bigard was born in New Orleans to Creole parents, Ale ...

* Louis Cottrell, Sr. * Louis Cottrell, Jr. *

Joe Darensbourg Joe Darensbourg (July 9, 1906 – May 24, 1985) was an American, New Orleans-based jazz clarinetist and saxophonist, notable for his work with Buddy Petit, Jelly Roll Morton, Charlie Creath, Fate Marable, Andy Kirk, Kid Ory, Wingy Manon ...

* Louis Nelson Delisle *

Cie Frazier Josiah "Cie" Frazier (February 23, 1904 – January 10, 1985) was an American jazz drummer. Frazier studied drums under several New Orleans jazz musicians, including Louis Cottrell, Sr., Red Happy Bolton, and Face-O Woods. He joined the ...

Illinois Jacquet Jean-Baptiste "Illinois" Jacquet (October 30, 1922 – July 22, 2004) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, best remembered for his solo on " Flying Home", critically recognized as the first R&B saxophone solo. Although he was a pioneer of ...

* Freddie Keppard * Lawrence Marrero *

Jelly Roll Morton Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe (later Morton; c. September 20, 1890 – July 10, 1941), known professionally as Jelly Roll Morton, was an American ragtime and jazz pianist, bandleader, and composer. Morton was jazz's first arranger, proving that a gen ...

(Ferdinand J. LaMothe) *

Albert Nicholas Albert Nicholas (May 27, 1900 – September 3, 1973) was an American jazz clarinet player. Career Nicholas's primary instrument was the clarinet, which he studied with Lorenzo Tio in his hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Late ...

Kid Ory Edward "Kid" Ory (December 25, 1886 – January 23, 1973) was an American jazz composer, trombonist and bandleader. One of the early users of the glissando technique, he helped establish it as a central element of New Orleans jazz. He was ...

* Manuel Perez * Jimmy Palao * Alcide Pavageau * Alphonse Picou *

De De Pierce Joseph De Lacroix "De De" Pierce (February 18, 1904 – November 23, 1973) was an American jazz trumpeter and cornetist. He is best remembered for the songs "Peanut Vendor" and "Dippermouth Blues", both with Billie Pierce. Biography Pierce was b ...

Armand J. Piron Armand John "A.J." Piron (August 16, 1888 – February 17, 1943) was an American jazz violinist who led a dance band during the 1920s. Biography In 1915, Piron and Clarence Williams started the Piron and Williams Publishing Company. In their ...

John Robichaux John Robichaux (1866–1939) was an American jazz bandleader, drummer, and violinist. He was the uncle of Joseph Robichaux. Career He was born in Thibodaux, Louisiana, United States, on January 16, 1866. John Robichaux moved to New Orleans, L ...

* Omer Simeon * Lorenzo Tio * Eddie Bo

References

External links

*Henry, LaFleur, and Simien (July 2015).
In their words: We are all Creole
, ''DailyWorld.com''. *''History Detectives'', S7E2:
'Creole Poems'
, ''PBS.org''.
C.R.E.O.L.E. Inc.
("An organization dedicated to preserving the Creole Heritage.") *
ZydecoNation.org
' (documentary) *''Nightline'' (December ):
Test Suggests 'Black' Man Is Really Not
, ''ABCNews.Go.com''. *Le Melle, Stacy Parker (2013).

, ''HuffingtonPost.com''. *Duggar, Nikki (2009). " ttp://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/945 I Am What I Say I Am: Racial and Cultural Identity among Creoles of Color in New Orleans, ''ScholarWorks.UNO.edu''.
PDF
*Landry, Christophe (2015).
A Creole Melting Pot: the Politics of Language, Race, and Identity in southwest Louisiana, 1918-45
, ''Academia.edu''. *Landry, Christophe (2016).
Beyoncé and Solange Knowles breaking boundaries
, ''MyLHCV.com''. *Rosenberg, Jeremy (2012).

, ''KCET.org''. *Tervalon, Jervey (2006).
The Creole Connection
, ''LAWeekly.com''. *Flaccus, Gillian (2005).

, ''Legacy.SanDiegoUnionTribune.com''. *Goodrich, Juliette (2013).
Bay Area Grammy Nominee Represents Local Creole Community
, ''SanFrancisco.CBSLocal.com''. *Fuselier, Herman (2016).
Cluse: 'Creole is a lot more than people think'
, ''TheAdvertiser.com''.
Finding Agnes
, ''BlogSpot.com''. {{DEFAULTSORT:Creoles Of Color Creole peoples . .02 African-American cultural history African-American society Ethnic groups in Alabama Ethnic groups in Louisiana Ethnic groups in Mississippi Ethnic groups in the United States .01 Louisiana society Mulatto People of Louisiana (New France)