Free Black Women Of New Orleans, 1840: A statistical Analysis

Program year: 1990/1991Digitized from print original stored in HDRFree black women in antebellum New Orleans were important to the city economically, culturally, and socially. The tales of some of these famous women have grown to mythic proportions and the social institutions surrounding free black women have grown into such mysterious and exciting legends that the New Orleans tourist bureaus could not have written more romantic myths if they had tried. And while myths and legends are essential tools to the historian, since they reveal how descending generations relate to their ancestors, unfettered they can lead one far from the truth. My goal has been to begin to understand the free black women of New Orleans as a demographic reality by describing them statistically through united states population census data collected in 1840. From this new perspective I re-examined the common perceptions about free black women in New Orleans. Conclusions drawn about free black women, including those drawn from misconceptions partially guided by the myths surrounding free black women, have influenced the study of African American culture in all disciplines. studying the basis of these conclusions is critical for deriving the most accurate picture of African American life. Examining the free black women of New Orleans within their households and describing them as a statistical group begins the uncovering of the realities of their lives