Life in New Orleans There is some confusion regarding Laveau’s year of birth. Some documents indicate that she was born in 1794, while other research supports 1801 as the year of her birth. She is said to have been born to an African woman, named Marguerite Darcantel, and to Charles Laveau. Marie Laveau married a Creole man from Sainte-Domingue (now Haiti) named Jacques Paris. He reportedly disappeared and was later reported dead. Upon his disappearance, Laveau began referring to herself as the “Widow Paris.” After the reported death of her husband, Laveau started a relationship with Jean Louis Christophe Duminy de Glapion. Together, they had several children, some of whom were victims of the various yellow fever outbreaks that plagued New Orleans due to the city’s poor drainage system. Although Laveau was a committed mother and wife, much of her priority in caretaking was extended to her spiritual children and the general community. Laveau became a hairdresser to create economic stability for herself and her family. Through interaction with her black clients who were house servants, she was exposed to personal information about her wealthy white clients, who often sought her counsel. Laveau used this information to give informed counsel to the people who sought advice from her concerning their personal affairs. Many wealthy and politically affluent individuals, both white and black, paid Laveau for personal advice, intervention in some situation, and protection against any evil energy that might have been placed against them. Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 First Edition with your subscription. Subscribe today

Vodou in New Orleans Vodou, as a religious system, is derived from spiritual practices from Dahomey, the historic western African kingdom (located in what is now Benin). Vodou is actually a Fon word that means “spirit” or “deity.” Vodou was transported to the United States during the transatlantic slave trade. African religion was brought to New Orleans, first by the initial group of enslaved Africans from western Africa. After the revolution in Sainte-Domingue (1791–1804), another wave of African people brought their religion to New Orleans. The Vodou tradition was strengthened and reinforced by the free and enslaved African community of New Orleans. It is important to note that the practice of Vodou in New Orleans is not the purest manifestation of Vodou as it was known in Dahomey. Also, it is not the same religious system that is observed in Haiti. Sainte-Domingue was isolated, and religious and cultural practices were maintained and sustained. However, in New Orleans Vodouists had to adhere to strict European laws, codes, and oppression associated with enslavement. Vodou was often under scrutiny by public officials and the law. Nevertheless, Vodou held a strong presence in New Orleans throughout the centuries, and Vodou ceremonies and activities took place at various sites around the city. Vodou in New Orleans consisted of root work and gris-gris or ju-ju. People would seek out “conjurers” or other spiritualists for spiritual intervention or protection in their daily affairs. These favors ranged from those concerning love to political influence. Although most workers used their powers for positive forces, there were some who did not. It was probably the work of this small percentage of people that was sensationalized by people outside of the religion. This aspect of the religion became known as hoodoo and is often the basis for misconceptions that public society has about Vodou.