The Free People of Color of New Orleans: An Introduction

I found this book especially helpful in highlighting as aspect of history that is too often neglected. Free people of color played a major, but little understood, role in the course of Louisiana's French, Spanish, and American experience. This short work is a quick [yet complete] read for students. It gives them an opportunity to learn about these often forgotten people, and provides an excellent resource for comprehending a unique aspect Louisiana's rich and varied culture.

I was in the process of researching my Creole (New Orleans' gens de couleur libres) heritage when I came across Gehman's book. I was pleasantly surprised that the book included relevant key events relayed in a objective, easy-to-read format. It is true, however, that if you want statistics and logistics there are bigger books. But I again was quite impressed.

Having been fascinated with Black Creole culture and the history of French New Orleans, I found this book to be very informative. I was unaware of the large free mulatto class of people that existed in French New Orleans. I thought that most of these people simply resulted from forced sexual liasons between French men and Black women, as in the South. In New Orleans that was not the case. This is a very insightful read about a group of people that history speaks very little of. I encourage you to read it.