University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 12-2009 “The Youngest of the great American Family”: The Creation of a Franco-American Culture in Early Louisiana Cinnamon Brown University of Tennessee - Knoxville Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Brown, Cinnamon, "“The Youngest of the great American Family”: The Creation of a Franco-American Culture in Early Louisiana. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2009. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/566 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Cinnamon Brown entitled "“The Youngest of the great American Family”: The Creation of a Franco-American Culture in Early Louisiana." I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in History. Daniel M. Feller, Major Professor We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance: Ernest F. Freeberg, Lorri M. Glover, John B. Romeiser Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R. Hodges Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Cinnamon Brown entitled “’The Youngest of the great American Family’: The Creation of a Franco-American Culture in Early Louisiana.” I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in History. Daniel M. Feller, Major Professor We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance: Ernest F. Freeberg _________________________ Lorri M. Glover _________________________ John B. Romeiser _________________________ Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R. Hodges ________________________________ Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official student records) “The Youngest of the great American Family”: The Creation of a Franco-American Culture in Early Louisiana A Dissertation Presented for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Cinnamon Brown December 2009 Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to all of those who come from The Ranch. It is also dedicated to the memory of the late Dr. David Bowen. ii Acknowledgements It is always nice when you get to sit down and write your acknowledgements because it indicates that your project is almost done. However, I find this part as daunting to write as my many chapters. In thinking back to all the people who have helped in the completion of this project, I fear that thanking them all would become a dissertation-length project. First, I want to thank my committee, especially Dr. Daniel Feller. I know that at times I am difficult and I make silly mistakes. Your patience and guidance have been wonderful. I appreciate the attentive and copious manner in which you have approached this project. I would also like to extend a special thanks to Dr. Lorri Glover. During my time at the University of Tennessee, you are the professor who challenged me the most. Thank you for making me a better historian. Also, thank you to Dr. Ernest Freeberg and Dr. John Romeiser for serving on my committee and providing support and advice. I would like to thank Dr. Joe Wilkins and Dr. Bruce Wheeler. Your continuous friendship has kept me going. Thank you both for making me want to be a historian. I also want to dedicate this project to the late Dr. David Bowen. From helping me get into graduate school to securing my first teaching appointment, Dr. Bowen was an integral part of my career and my life. You are dearly missed, but fondly remembered. I would also like to thank the faculty and staff at the University of West Alabama. I wrote the bulk of this project while serving as a Visiting Professor in Livingston and they were there every step of the way. Thank you to Dr. Rob Riser for giving me a dream schedule and secluded office to write. Also thank you to Mickey and Lolita Smith for providing the perfect country sanctuary for me to get this project done. iii I learned early in my graduate career that archivists are a historian’s best friend. This was certainly true for this project. Without the help of many enthusiastic and helpful archivists, I am certain that I would still be wandering aimlessly through the archives. Thank you so much to AnnaLee Pauls. Not only did you help me find the sources I needed, but you were also a wonderful companion during my stay at Princeton. Thank you also to Siva Blake of the Historic New Orleans Collection and Carole Hampshire of Tulane University. You have accompanied me on some wild goose chases and helped me find the treasures I needed. I would also like to extend my gratitude to my Tennessee family. My classmates have been a constant source of support and comic relief. I would also like to thank the members of the History Department that provided friendship and assistance. Thank you to Kim, Cynthia, and Dr. Steve Ash for your constant encouragement. I would also like to thank the faculty and staff of the Honors Department for their support and companionship during the difficult times of this project. Also while in Knoxville, I met some wonderful people including Steve, Brian, Alan, and Erin. Your friendship and urgings for me to get out of the house helped me maintain my sanity. I once heard someone say that the key to stardom is the other members of your team. Indeed, this project has been a team effort. Some of the main members of my team are my closest friends. Sarah Krisko has inspired me with her own passion and drive. Also my old friends Desie Stephens and Katie Albers were there always reminding me that I could finish. You are all the true definition of a friend and you continue to amaze and astonish me. Another crucial member of “Team Cinnamon” is Mark. Not only did he edit every chapter and provide useful suggestions, but he endured my fits of frustration and constant mental lapses. Your love and encouragement has meant more to me than you will ever know. Thank you for lightening the load. iv I would like to extend my most heartfelt gratitude to my family. It is to them that this project is dedicated. My three brothers could have cared less about territorial New Orleans, but they asked about it anyway. I love you all so much and I know I am a better person for having you all in my life. Last, but certainly not least, thank you mom and dad. Your support and unconditional love are unwavering. Whether providing helpful advice or the occasional loan, you always know what I need. I am certain that everything good about me came from you both. No one will ever love you like I do. v Abstract On April 30, 1803, the Jefferson administration purchased French Louisiana. Initially American lawmakers rejoiced at the prospect of American domination of the Mississippi River. Yet within a few short months this optimism was replaced with uncertainty and alarm as lawmakers faced the task of incorporating Lower Louisiana into the Union. As Americans tackled the many unintended consequences of the Louisiana Purchase, Louisianans also had to confront the ramifications of the landmark acquisition and the encroachment of a new American government in their lives. From 1803 to 1815, American lawmakers and Louisianans embarked on a parallel journey to incorporate Lower Louisiana into the political, social, and cultural infrastructure of the young republic. The American part of this historic journey has been well documented as many historians explore how American lawmakers passed key legislation and implemented programs of Americanization to bring Lower Louisiana into the Union. Louisianans’ perspective, however, has remained quite secondary. By exploring the lives of individual Louisianans, this project examines how they too shaped the incorporation of Lower Louisiana and how their class, race, and ethnicity influenced their participation in that process. In highlighting the experiences of Creole elite families, prominent political figures, and Lower Louisiana’s free people of color, it becomes clear that Louisianans employed vital strategies of negotiation to sufficiently assimilate to gain American citizenship and acceptance, while also preserving vital aspects of their French identity. By utilizing tools such as political activism, military service, and the conversation of attachment, Louisianans came into the Union on their own terms and ultimately created a Franco-American culture that still pervades Louisiana today. vi Table of Contents Introduction- “A Beloved First Mistress”: Setting the Stage for a Franco-American Culture in Lower Louisiana 1 Chapter One- “The greatest curse that could at present befall us”: Making True Americans in Lower Louisiana 23 Chapter Two- “Designing intrigueing men”: Creole Resistance and Negotiation in Territorial Louisiana 52 Chapter Three- “Real and Pretended Patriots”: