Mary Gehman

This history of free people of color is a mere introduction. Its scope is decidedly small and it is not a work of any original scholarship, as far as I could see. There is some interesting but undeveloped work at the end of the book as to what it means to be a Creole of color today, but the work on the antebellum period was derivative at best, and the post-war Reconstruction and Jim Crow periods received barely a nod of recognition. There are far better works on the free people of color of New Orleans, many mentioned in the extensive bibliography that is part of this work.… (más)

The Free People of Color of New Orleans is from a small independent publisher that specializes in books on Louisiana's people, culture, and music. Subtitled "An Introduction," it doesn't try to be a comprehensive study, but is rather a succinct survey of the history of the largest community of free people of color in the United States.

While the volume has a somewhat amateurish appearance, the information within is coherent, clear, and really quite interesting. I highly recommend for anyone who wants to learn more about New Orleans, Creole culture, the legacy of blacks in America, or just enjoys well-written, no nonsense history.… (más)