I'm very suspicious of references to colour in the history of New Orleans once the Americans got there. By my reading, the people of colour who owned slaves were, to some extent, mulatto refugees from events in Haiti and would not have considered themselves 'Negroes', but to the incoming White American settlers anyone with a touch of African blood was Not White, hence Black or Negro. Interestingly, when it came to organising the defence of New Orleans, Andrew Jackson warned those Whites who did not wish the coloured population to bear arms in the militia that, if frustrated too far, the coloured slaveholders would side with their own slaves against the American administration. (And, please, to all those Jacksonian specialists out there, I can't provide a reference but should welcome one if someone can give it . . . ) John Weiss Independent Scholar, London See the history links at http://homepage.virgin.net/john.weiss/mcnish-weiss.html ----- Original Message ----- To: <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: black master : BEAUTIFUL CRESCENT, A History of New Orleans by Joan B. Garvey and Mary : Lou Widmer, Library of Congress Number 111-123 ISBN #0-9612960-0-3 : Page 97. "In the city, there were many free Negroes with slaves of : their own. To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html