Creoles of color
Encyclopedia
The Creoles of Color are a historic ethnic group of Louisiana
, especially the city of New Orleans.
colonial period, Creole referred to people born in Louisiana with ancestors from elsewhere; i.e., all natives other than Native Americans
. They used the term to separate themselves from foreign-born and Anglo-American
settlers. Colonial documents show the term "Creole" used to refer to white people, black people including slaves, and mixed race people. Admixture studies presented by the Annals of Human Biology have found the creoles to be individually 80% African and 20% European.[citation?]
The mixed-race Creoles of Color become part of a separate ethnic group in the 19th century. These freed persons of color and their descendants usually enjoyed many of the privileges of whites including property ownership and formal education. Often the Creoles of Color were referred to as "Gens de couleur libres," French for "freed persons of color." Because they were of a social order above many of the blacks during that time period, they went to great lengths to ensure that they and their offspring had very little contact with anyone who did not belong to their social class. While it was not illegal, it was a social taboo for Creoles of Color to marry slaves and was rarely done. Some of the most prosperous Creoles of Color even owned slaves themselves.
After the American Civil War
, many of the Creoles of Color lost their status and were made to join the ranks of the poverty-stricken ex-slaves. However often having the advantage of better education than the new freedmen, many were active in the struggle for civil rights
, although they suffered a major reversal when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against them with Plessy v. Ferguson
in 1896.
, and Nos Hommes et Notre Histoire, by Rodolphe Lucien Desdunes.
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, especially the city of New Orleans.
History
During Louisiana’sHistory of Louisiana
The history of Louisiana is long and rich. From its earliest settlement by Native Americans to its status as linchpin of an empire to its incorporation as a U.S...
colonial period, Creole referred to people born in Louisiana with ancestors from elsewhere; i.e., all natives other than Native Americans
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
. They used the term to separate themselves from foreign-born and Anglo-American
English American
English Americans are citizens or residents of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in England....
settlers. Colonial documents show the term "Creole" used to refer to white people, black people including slaves, and mixed race people. Admixture studies presented by the Annals of Human Biology have found the creoles to be individually 80% African and 20% European.[citation?]
The mixed-race Creoles of Color become part of a separate ethnic group in the 19th century. These freed persons of color and their descendants usually enjoyed many of the privileges of whites including property ownership and formal education. Often the Creoles of Color were referred to as "Gens de couleur libres," French for "freed persons of color." Because they were of a social order above many of the blacks during that time period, they went to great lengths to ensure that they and their offspring had very little contact with anyone who did not belong to their social class. While it was not illegal, it was a social taboo for Creoles of Color to marry slaves and was rarely done. Some of the most prosperous Creoles of Color even owned slaves themselves.
After the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, many of the Creoles of Color lost their status and were made to join the ranks of the poverty-stricken ex-slaves. However often having the advantage of better education than the new freedmen, many were active in the struggle for civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
, although they suffered a major reversal when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against them with Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy v. Ferguson, 163 U.S. 537 , is a landmark United States Supreme Court decision in the jurisprudence of the United States, upholding the constitutionality of state laws requiring racial segregation in private businesses , under the doctrine of "separate but equal".The decision was handed...
in 1896.
Music
In maintaining their European heritage, it was not uncommon to find classically trained musicians among the Creoles of Color in nineteenth century Louisiana. They would often study with players associated with the French Opera House, and some would even travel to Paris to complete their studies. There are two main primary sources that discuss black composers of that time: Music and Some Highly Musical People, by James Monroe TrotterJames Monroe Trotter
James Monroe Trotter was born into slavery in Grand Gulf, Mississippi to a slave named Letitia and her master Richard S. Trotter. Letitia, along with her two sons, James Monroe and Charles Trotter, escaped on the Underground Railroad to Cincinnati, Ohio...
, and Nos Hommes et Notre Histoire, by Rodolphe Lucien Desdunes.
Notable Classical musicians
- Basile Barès
- Edmund Dédé
- Laurent Dubuclet
- Andrus Espree
- LucienCharles Lucien LambertCharles Lucien Lambert, also known as Lucien Lambert , was a black American composer, born a free person of color in New Orleans before the American Civil War...
and Sidney Lambert - Victor Eugène Macarty
- Samuel Snaër
Jazz musicians
With their vigorous tradition of musicianship, New Orleans area Creoles of Color were active in defining the earliest days of jazz.- George BaquetGeorge BaquetGeorge Baquet was an American jazz clarinetist, known for his contributions to early jazz in New Orleans.His father, Theogene Baquet, was also a clarinetist, as were his brothers, Achille and Harold...
- Louis Nelson Delisle
- Freddie KeppardFreddie KeppardFreddie Keppard was an early jazz cornetist.Keppard was born in the Creole of Color community of downtown New Orleans, Louisiana. His older brother Louis Keppard was also a professional musician. Freddie played violin, mandolin, and accordion before switching to cornet...
- Jelly Roll MortonJelly Roll MortonFerdinand Joseph LaMothe , known professionally as Jelly Roll Morton, was an American ragtime and early jazz pianist, bandleader and composer....
- Manuel PerezManuel Perez (musician)Emanuel Perez – also known as Manuel - was an early New Orleans jazz cornetist and bandleader. Being a contemporary of Buddy Bolden, Perez is considered one of the originators, and was influential in crafting the early jazz and ragtime sound.-Life:Some details of his early life remain obscure...
- Jimmy PalaoJimmy PalaoJames "Jimmy" Palao, also James Florestan Palao February 19, 1879 - January 8, 1925 was the Leader of the Original Creole Orchestra and it is believed that he was the first to coin the term Jazz...
- Alphonse PicouAlphonse PicouAlphonse Floristan Picou was an important very early jazz clarinetist who also wrote and arranged music....
- Armand J. PironArmand J. PironArmand John "A.J." Piron was an American jazz violinist, band leader, and composer.In 1915, Piron and Williams together started the Piron and Williams Publishing Company, and in their first year of business published Piron's composition, “I Wish That I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate”, which...
- Omer SimeonOmer SimeonOmer Victor Simeon was an American jazz clarinetist. He also played soprano, alto, and baritone saxophone and bass clarinet....
- Lorenzo TioLorenzo TioLorenzo Tio Jr. was a master clarinetist from New Orleans, as were his father Lorenzo Tio Sr. and uncle Louis "Papa" Tio...