Keywords for Black Louisiana

Mama "Julie" Comba

An African woman of the Mandinga nation who lived in the Hospital for the Poor (L'Hôpital des Pauvres) and was enslaved to the Capuchin priests. She is questioned in the case of Louis dit Foÿ.

Lived in Saint-Domingue and the Illinois Country prior to arriving in Louisiana. He was enslaved to Sr. Duplessis in Saint-Domingue, sent from Le Cap to Sieur Gaillardy, sold by Gaillardy to Sieur Blevins of Illinois Country, then accused of having gone maroon.

Louison (Cantrelle)

Lived in a cabin in the garden of her enslaver, Cantrelle, and is a friend of Mama Comba.

Cézar (Jung)

Friend of Louis dit Foÿ and enslaved by Jung, the Lieutenant of the Police.

Fatima (de Lafrenière)

Enslaved to de Lafrenière and identified as associating with Mama Comba and Louis dit Foÿ.

"une autre négress"

Friend of Louison (Cantrelle) and accused of attending an illicit dinner with Mama Comba, Cézar (Jung), and Louis dit Foÿ where she eats "un gombeau."

unnamed "négresse" (Baschemin)

Unnamed in this document, she is referred to in the interrogation of Mama Comba regarding Louis dit Foÿ. She is enslaved to Baschemin.

Biron (Soubaigne)

Arrived in Louisiana on the ship "L'Aurore" and repeatedly seeks his freedom through marronage. He does not speak French and is enslaved to Jean Soubaigne.

Louis Congo

Promised his freedom in 1725 by colonial administrators in exchange for his role as High Executioner. He is the husband of Suzanne.

Charlotte (Meuillion)

Mother of Louis and Helene and enslaved to Antoine Meullion, surgeon residing at Pointe Coupée. She spends over 20 years seeking freedom for herself and her children.

Louis (Meuillion)

Son of Charlotte (Meuillion) and the older brother of Helene. He is enslaved to Antoine Meuillion, surgeon residing at Pointe Coupée.

Helene (Meuillion)

Daughter of Charlotte (Meuillion) and younger sister to Louis, Charlotte's firstborn child. She is enslaved to Antoine Meuillion, surgeon residing at Pointe Coupée.

Pierrot (Brosset)

Enslaved by Michèl Brosset and then sold by Claude Boisson and his wife, Magdelaine Chenier. Sometime during the course of his sale, Pierrot goes maroon.

Samba Bambara

Interpreter for the Superior Council of the Bamana language and is described by the court as "a Bambara Christian."

Naneta Saint-Marc

Sister of Juan Pedro alias Bonhomme and identified as being from the Attakapas Post, near Opelousas.

Juan Pedro alias Bonhomme (Prevot)

Brother of Naneta St. Marc and enslaved by Salomon Prevot. He was injured when a small shack, or "choza," fell on him during a hurricane prior to 1793, possibly the Great Cuba Hurricane of 1791.

Louis (Mouton)

Enslaved to Catherine Mouton, the Widow Bonvillian.

Maria Juana

Negra libre and buyer of a plot on which to place a market stall on Ursulines. She is an associate of Genoveva Junon.

unnamed "négresse" (de Chavannes)

Enslaved to Jean-Baptiste de Chavannes beginning in 1722-1723 and previously enslaved to de Gauvrit who purchased her from the Company of the Indies. She was forced upriver by de Chavannes to his plantation near the village of the Petits Collas (Acolapissa).

Genoveva Junon

Negra libre, homeowner in the City of New Orleans; associate of Maria Juana.

Naneta Boré

Mulata libre and friend, or kin, of Maturine (Boré). She is accused of associating with the English at Manchac and being of ill repute.

unnamed "nègre" (Soubaigne)

Lived on the plantation of Jean Soubaigne in Gentilly. He is referenced in the interrogation and trial of Biron (Soubaigne).

Angelica (Ramis)

Grandmother to Maria Antonia (Porta). This suit follows Angelica's legal proceedings as she goes before the New Orleans cabildo to initiate coartación proceedings for her 4-year old granddaughter, Maria Antonia, so that she may purchase her freedom.

Maria Antonia (Porta)

4-year old granddaughter of Angelica (Ramis), enslaved by Santiago Porta. She is granted freedom after her grandmother, Angelica, successfully pursues her coartación.

Catharina (D'Éstrehan)

Catharina, mulata esclava, belonging to the estate of Don Juan Bautista Destrehan, which is administered by Étienne de Boré. She is the mother of Felicité who is enslaved on the Destrehan Plantation.

Julia Fortier

Negra libre and resident of the City of New Orleans. She files a freedom suit on behalf of Medery (Picquery).

Felicité (D'Éstrehan)

5-year old daughter of Catharina and enslaved on the Destrehan Plantation. Her mother is seeking freedom for both of them through coartación proceedings.

Medery (Picquery)

Friend of Julia Fortier and enslaved by Antoine Joseph Picquery. Julia is seeking freedom on his behalf through coartación proceedings.

Bontemps (Pellerin)

Unnamed in this document, Bontemps was identified at his 1728 trial as being one of Louis Congo's attackers. He is a teenage Native boy who is later hung at the gallows by Louis Congo.

Guillory (Trudeau)

Unnamed in this document, Guillory was identified at his 1728 trial as being one of Louis Congo's attackers. In that later trial, he was also accused of stealing from Trudeau, his enslaver.

unnamed "sauvage déserteur"

Unnamed in this document and one of "trois sauvages déserteurs." He was accused alongside Bontemps and Guillory in the attack on Louis Congo.

unnamed "esclave" (Saint-Martin)

Unnamed in this document, but identified as being enslaved by Saint-Martin. He is accused of assisting Indigenous maroons by stealing munitions from his enslaver.

Maturine (Boré)

Enslaved by Alexandre de Boré and friend, or kin, of Naneta Boré. She is accused of having done nothing worthy of her freedom and being of ill repute.

Mariana Marcos alias Voisin

Negra libre, sister of Pelagia (D'Anneville) and associate of Francisco Ramón Canes, "el Curro."

Pelagia (D'Anneville)

Negra esclava, sister to Mariana Marcos alias Voisin. She was enslaved by Pierre Olivier D'Anneville.

Francisco Ramón Canes alias el Curro

A free man of African and Spanish descent from Cuba, associate of Marina Marcos alias Voisin. He helped in the coartación proceedings of Pelagia (D'Anneville).

Cecilia Tounoir

Afro-Indigenous woman, aunt to Naneta (Tounoir); previously enslaved by Juan Bautista Tounoir; daughter of María of the Patouca nation; sister to Maria Juana (Monsanto); aunt to Marie (Poydras) and Antoine Sarrazin (Poydras), conspirator of the Pointe Coupée Uprising of 1795.

Naneta (Tounoir)

Niece of Cecilia, enslaved by by Juan Bautista Tounoir; granddaughter of María of the Patouca nation. While not explicitly stated, she is most likely Afro-Indigenous.

María (Germain)

Mother of Cecilia Tounoir and Maria Juana (Monsanto); grandmother of Naneta (Tounoir), Marie (Poydras), and Antoine Sarrazin (Poydras), conspirator of the Pointe Coupée Uprising of 1795. She is an enslaved Indigenous woman of the Patouca nation, or Plains Apache.

People