Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 2001 Worldly Rites: The oS cial and Political Significance of Religious Services in Louisiana, 1803--1865. Julia Huston Nguyen Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Nguyen, Julia Huston, "Worldly Rites: The ocS ial and Political Significance of Religious Services in Louisiana, 1803--1865." (2001). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 302. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/302 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 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WORLDLY RITES: THE SOCIAL AND POLITICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF RELIGIOUS SERVICES IN LOUISIANA, 1803-1865 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of History by Julia Huston Nguyen BA.., Mount Holyoke College, 1995 M A , Louisiana State University, 1997 May 2001 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number 3016565 Copyright 2001 by Nguyen, Julia Huston All rights reserved. UMI* UMI Microform 3016565 Copyright 2001 by Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ©Copyright 2001 Julia Huston Nguyen All rights reserved ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. For Steve Ul Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First, I would like to thank the history departments of Louisiana State University and Mount Holyoke College, as well as the Alumnae Association of Mount Holyoke College and the Graduate School of Louisiana State University for generous financial support during the writing of this dissertation. My major professor, William J. Cooper, Jr. proved to be an exemplary mentor. He exercised the ideal blend of oversight and benign neglect that allowed me the freedom to work as I chose while insuring that I did actually work. At the same time, he demanded a clarity and rigor of thought that challenged and inspired me. Two other members of my committee, Anne C. Loveland and Gaines M. Foster, offered useful criticisms and suggestions for further reading throughout the course of this project. John Rodrigue and Penelope Harper joined the committed later, but their comments and guidance have been no less helpful. Lynda Morgan, my thesis advisor at Mount Holyoke, has continued to be a valued mentor and friend. She gave constant encouragement during the long periods of research and writing, assuring me that the result really would be worth all the work. My parents, Thomas and Sarah Huston, provided an early love of history and constant support. Even more importantly, however, they also provided me with a place to stay while doing research in New Orleans. Finally, I would like to thank my husband Steve and our daughters, Truly and Lily for reminding me that there are more important things than history. iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.......................................................................................... iv ABSTRACT..................................................................................................................vi INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................1 CHAPTER 1 KEEPING THE SABBATH: SUNDAY SERVICES............................. II 2 SPECIAL TIMES: RELIGIOUS AND CIVIL HOLIDAYS.................69 3 FIRE AND WATER: REVIVALS AND BAPTISM..............................96 4 CREATING A UNION: WEDDINGS ..................................................133 5 DEATH IN LOUISIANA: FUNERALS ............................................... 185 6 THE SPIRIT UNDER STRESS: RELIGION DURING THE CIVIL WAR................................................................................................... 235 CONCLUSION.......................................................................................................... 285 BIBLIOGRAPHY...................................................................................................... 289 VITA...........................................................................................................................313 v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT In antebellum and Civil War Louisiana, religious rituals contained more than spiritual meaning. They also carried social and political significance that can illustrate a great deal about that society. Sabbath services, holidays, revivals, baptisms, weddings, and funerals all reflected the values that Louisianans believed to be important. By looking at religion and the ways that residents of Louisiana experienced it, not only on a daily basis but also during the major milestones of life, one can come to a greater understanding of the ways in which they structured their society and interacted with it. Through an examination of Louisiana religion, one can easily discern the primary importance placed on family. Religious events reinforced family ties by bringing them together, not only for the major stages of life such as birth, marriage, and death, but also for regular church services and for special holidays scattered throughout the year. The opinions of members of the wider community were also considered significant. At the same time, Louisianians expected religious expression to conform to societal norms, and it taught people how they were expected to behave through the rituals in which they participated. These ceremonies showed men and women that their priorities and loyalties should lie primarily with their families while they also served to instruct citizens in the significance of the community and the need to secure society’s approval in matters such as marriage, death, and at other important points in life. Finally, these events show the importance of religion to Louisiana society. Despite many protestations that the state's citizens were irreligious and preferred fun to vi Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. worship, religion held a significant place in the state’s culture, and society in general valued both the spiritual and the social and political aspects of religious rituals. No ceremony considered in this study carried a purely religious meaning, and participants recognized this fact. They accepted the larger implications that religious activity had for their lives. Throughout the antebellum period and the upheavals of the Civil War, religion and its ceremonies retained a central place in the experiences and actions of many men and women in Louisiana. vii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. INTRODUCTION Historical study of religion in the antebellum South has changed over time. Early works by historians including Walter Posey and Ernest Thompson considered the subject from a denominational perspective. In The Baptist Church in the Lower Mississippi Valley, Posey