Everyone knows that New Orleans was a key destination in French colonization. Learn more about how, exactly, French forces were able to claim hold over Louisiana’s most historic city during a special lecture at Gallier House Shop. This Wednesday, September 11th, Dr. Arad Gigi will present his research on how France constructed its military architecture in its New World colonies.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, various European powers expanded across the Atlantic Ocean and built formidable empires. France's imperial power extended from Canada in Northern-North America, through the Great Lakes south to New Orleans and to the Caribbean. The Caribbean colonies were at the heart of this system.
There, enslaved Africans in plantations produced sugar, coffee, and indigo that fueled the French and European economy. To advance their economic and geopolitical interests, the French had to build extensive imperial infrastructure: fortifications, ports, hospitals, roads, and more. It is in this context that New Orleans was established in the early eighteenth century to solidify French grip over this strategic post.
The construction of colonial fortifications was one of the most ambitious endeavors an early-modern empire could undertake. It required a massive mobilization of labor, enormous financial investments, extensive logistics networks to procure and transport necessary construction materials across the seas, scientific inquiry to learn the New World geography and adapt the European building techniques, and effective coordination between imperial authorities and colonial elites.
Arad Gigi (Ph.D., Florida State University, 2018) is a Visiting Assistant Professor of History at the University of Southern Mississippi, where he teaches courses on European and Latin American history. He is an expert on the early-modern Atlantic world, where he is researching the formation, evolution, and function of the French Empire in the Caribbean. His work was supported by many research grants and awards, including a French Government's Bourse Chateaubriand, a John Carter Brown Fellowship, and grants from Florida State University.
Get ready for a rousing discussion about the earliest origins of New Orleans during this event at Gallier House Shop! Tickets are $10 in advance; $12 at the door; and $10 for museum members. Please visit www.hgghh.org for advance ticket purchases.
Brookstone Park Apartments in Covington, Louisiana goes out of our way to ensure that you lead the lifestyle you have always desired. Even in today’s modern world, one thing remains certain: nothing is more rewarding than a life well-lived, so make plans to attend this event today!
Event Time/Date:
Wednesday, September 11, 2019—5:30 PM
Event Venue Location:
Gallier House Shop
1128 Royal Street
New Orleans, Louisiana 70116