MrE & Louisiana History 00/00/10 “Famous people in our state’s culture and heritage” Day ONE

Pre-test Based only on prior knowledge, please complete the assignment given in ONE complete paragraph, writing in proper grammar and BLACK INK. You have five minutes.

75. Describe the contributions of ethnic groups significant in Louisiana history June 29, First graduating class of McNeese Junior College

In what Country would you find the following landmarks? 1.The Great Pyramids 2.The Great Wall 3.The Outback 4.Death Valley 5.Amazon River Write legibly, in BLACK INK and only on the sheet provided This is my personal class bellringer, called a LaGumbo – a little of anything and everything from middle school history!

Intro Marie, the Voudou Priestess The subject of legends, myths Newspaper and magazine articles Tour guides tales Historical documentaries Three novels and an opera A film and a play And her tomb is the most visited in the city of New Orleans

VocAB Terms to know Voudou – A melding of Catholic and African spirits which is central to Louisiana Voudou Hoodoo – predominantly African-American traditional folk magic Priestess – a woman having the authority or power to administer religious rites (as in the above) F.P.C – is a person of full or partial African descent who was not enslaved - Free People of Color Mulatto – a person of mixed black and white ancestry

Fact #1 Great Grandmother was probably born in West Africa (Senegal) around 1736 and sold into slavery as a child. She was later in great demand as a domestic servant.

Fact #2 Voudou Voudou is a house religion served mostly by women. Practitioners profess belief in a supreme God but give more attention to a large number of spirits called the loa, which can be identified as local or African gods, deified ancestors, or Catholic saints. The spelling of Voodoo typically indicates the region of reference. Voodoo is West African, now common to the U.S. Voudou is the French spelling more common in Haiti The word voodoo means "spirit of God."

Hoodoo practitioners work with both hands - for good and evil. The root doctors, as they are called in Louisiana, and the bokors as they are called in Haiti, are also healers. Hoodoo is not Voodoo. It is a living and organic magical system with a strong African heartbeat. Virtually all practitioners are Christian. Fact #3

Catholic Her grandmother was at least a nominal Catholic and was baptized in St. Louis Cathedral. Grandmother spent 30 years as a servant to Henry Roche, a popular F.P.C. (Free People of Color) and had two children. Fact #4

Free At forty-two her grandmother PAID six hundred (Spanish) pesos in cash to become a free women. 41 years later she passed away and was buried with full rites of the Catholic Church. Fact #5 What Spanish Pesos?

Laveau Homework Using the internet, research Marie Laveau, to create the given Lifeline timeline. DO NOT TRUST a Wikipedia site for info. They are known to be wrong. Use the sites given on homework sheet Assignment is due tomorrow at the beginning of class. Remember – Dates above the line, facts below the line, and BLACK INK. Homework

MrE & Louisiana History 00/00/10 “The women you only thought you knew” Day Two

BEFORE WE START Turn in HR Timeline now. Be sure your name is on it. Take out fact-sheet we started yesterday.

75. Describe the contributions of ethnic groups significant in Louisiana history July 1, Louisiana State Flag adopted.

BRIEFLY define the following terms. 1. F.P.C. 2. Mulatto 3. Vodou 4. Senegal 5. Hoodoo Write legibly, in BLACK INK and only on the sheet provided

Fact #6 Born Free Marie’s mother, Marguerite, had a brief affair with a free mulatto business man – Charles Laveaux. Marie became the first generation to be born free. She was baptized in the Cathedral with her grandmother serving as godmother.

Fact #7 Service Marie entered into a relationship with Christophe de Glapion. Marie was involved in community service, nursing yellow fever victims, she was a life-long Catholic, received the sacraments of baptism and marriage, attended mass, and served as a godmother. Christophe was a white Louisiana native of noble French birth. Marie and Chris were the parents of seven children

Same or Not? She looked at Catholicism and Voudou as different, but not conflicting. Voudou also had a complex theology and including many spirits – elements that many Africans could relate to. Fact #8

Callers Lawyers, legislators, planters and merchants all came to pay their respects and seek her prayers and guidance. Marie had a following of both the FPC and upper- class whites of New Orleans. Fact #9

Good vs Good Newspapers could not reconcile the idea of Marie Laveau as a exemplary Catholic with her Voudou congregation leadership. “If she was good she couldn’t be a voudou priestess and if she was Priestess she couldn’t be good.” Fact #10

Fact #8

Laveau Homework Using the internet, and your research on Marie Laveau, to create her own Facebook page. Assignment is due tomorrow at the beginning of class. Remember – comments, friends, birthdays, picture, and in BLACK INK. Homework

PosT-test Now knowing more about Marie Laveau, please complete the assignment given in ONE complete paragraph in, writing in proper grammar and BLACK INK. You have ten minutes.

EXTRA CREDIT if you want Using the worksheet given, cut out Marie’s tomb, fold the shape and tape it together following the directions supplied. Return the completed project tomorrow at the beginning of class or before school.