Congo Square is often described as the “birthplace of jazz.” But its history goes far deeper—as a place where, every Sunday, the enslaved of New Orleans would practice traditional African music and dance.

In this first episode of a trilogy, we examine Congo Square’s origins, its persistence across French and Spanish New Orleans, and how early American officials sought to regulate it.

LEARN MORE:

Congo Square: African Roots in New Orleans by FreddiWilliams Evans

Congo Square in New Orleans by Jerah Johnson

“A Window on Slave Culture: Dances at Congo Square in NewOrleans, 1800-1862” by Gary A. Donaldson

The World That Made New Orleans: From Spanish Silver toCongo Square by Ned Sublette

City of a Million Dreams: New Orleans at 300 by JasonBerry

The Accidental City: Improvising New Orleans byLawrence N. Powell

“African Cultural Memory in New Orleans Music” byJason Berry

“Deep Skin: Reconstructing Congo Square” by Joseph R. Roach

“New Orleans Music as a Circulatory System” by Matt Sakakeeny

“The Invention of a Memory: Congo Square and African Musicin Nineteenth-Century New Orleans” by Ted Widmer

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Yes. And don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

In our final battle episode, we dispel a few historical myths, muse on alternate history scenarios, and explore not just what the American victory prevented but created.

(And also discuss the TREATY OF GHENT.)

LEARN MORE:

The Greatest Fury: The Battle of New Orleans and the Rebirth of America by William C. Davis

The British at the Gates: The New Orleans Campaign in the War of 1812 by Robin Reilly

The Battle of New Orleans: Andrew Jackson and America's First Military Victory by Robert V. Remini

The Accidental City: Improvising New Orleans by Lawrence N. Powell

The World That Made New Orleans: From Spanish Silver to Congo Square by Ned Sublette

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We say farewell to the folks we've gotten to know during the Battle of New Orleans. The pirates Lafitte meet their end. We assess Andrew Jackson.

LEARN MORE:

The Greatest Fury: The Battle of New Orleans and the Rebirth of America by William C. Davis

The British at the Gates: The New Orleans Campaign in the War of 1812 by Robin Reilly

The Pirates Laffite: The Treacherous World of the Corsairs of the Gulf by William C. Davis

The Battle of New Orleans: Andrew Jackson and America's First Military Victory by Robert V. Remini

The Accidental City: Improvising New Orleans by Lawrence N. Powell

The World That Made New Orleans: From Spanish Silver to Congo Square by Ned Sublette

"The Battle of New Orleans Reconsidered: Andrew Jackson and Martial Law" by Matthew Warshauer

"The Patterson and Ross Raid on Barataria, September 1814" by Robert C. Vogel

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