An introduction
It was individuals first and families finally that made Louisiana not
only habitable but hospitable. Many of the European colonists
arrived from the southwest region of France along the Spanish border.
This region was known as the Pyrenees; its borders fluctuated through
the centuries due to war; its people were hardy and resourceful.
Another source of colonists were the people of the "camargue,"
or marshy coastal region of the same area.
They were experienced in coastal life, as well as farming, mining and
livestock raising. As miners they often mined for salt. As coastal people,
they knew how to raise crops such as rice. As foothill dwellers, their
knowledge of livestock was well tested. Still they
were Latins and shared much with the other colonists of Louisiana.
After the Purchase
After the Purchase of Louisiana and surrounding territory,
the United States pursued an aggressive policy in regards to the inhabitants,
particularly to those living in and around New Orleans. Since it had been
a foreign domain, the efforts by the American government to integrate
the territory into the American mainstream left the inhabitants with the
idea that theirs was a way of life worth preserving. Their language, customs
and religion bound them together; they clung more tightly to their ways
and to their clan groups. It was after the Americans assumed control of
the former Latino colony that the notion and identity of the Creoles took
on political significance.
After the war of 1812
with significant battles fought below
New Orleans at Chalmette, the Americans successfully repulsed the British
and reaffirmed their claim over the territory. Having done so, they enacted
new controls and regulations over Louisiana which due to many cultural
differences, the inhabitants were largely able to thwart over the next
40 years, and in lesser degrees for 60 or so years after that. The families,
living in clan groups and speaking another language, familiar with the
coast and its landscape, initially possessed a formidable advantage over
the new government's influence. The lingua franca remained French,
the families continued to associate, marry and conduct business as always,
the legislature continued to favor the Creoles, and English remained a
second language for many. This insularity encouraged Creole culture and
made New Orleans in particular, the most unusual and exotic of American
cities.
A few of the Creole families existing today
Many of the descendants of the early colonial period remain in Louisiana today; they, with other families who arrived from other French colonies, form the modern Creoles. The family names listed are a sample of those families:
Adam, Allain, Arnaud, Avart, Barthe, Bernard, Bernoudy, Bertonneau, Boutte, Boyer, Borre, Boisseau, Boise, Brion, Broyard, Brule, Carriere, Castenel, Cheval, Cofi, Cousin, Crocker, Christophe, (de la)Croix, Darensbourg, Dauphin, Delande, Delassize, Delatte, Delille, Delgado, Dusuau, Destrehan, Desdunes, Derneville, Despre, Diaz, Dubroc, Dubroca, Duplessis, Duplantis, Duplantier, Durand, Duroche, Dutillet, Forneret, Forstall, Favrot, Gandolfi, Gillette, Gaillard, Galvez, Garcineau, Garidel, Glapion, Haydel, Honore, Houssart, (de la) Housseye, Hypolite, Lacoste, Laveau, Leblanc, Lemelle, Livaudais, Lafitte, Lamotte, Lanusse, Laroche, Lemelle, Livaudais, Marie, (de la)Marigny, Martinez, Metoyer, Milon, Monsignat, Montegut, Navarro, Nicaud, Olivier, Ortis, Ory, Pedesclau, Peniston, Quinones, Pelot, Perez, Perrault, Prudhomme, Pena, Picot, Piron, Rabin, Remise, Rey, Rillieux, Robin, (de la)Roche, Rochon, Roussel, Sabatier, Santiago, Segur, Semmes, Senac, Simon, Soule, St. Cyr, St. Julien, Suane, Thezan, Ticou, Tricou, Toussaint, Treme, Trevigne, Valdez, Valentin, Vivant, Volant, Willoz, Xavier, Zamora, Zenon, Zeringue
