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The Accidental City: Improvising New Orleans
This is the story of a city that shouldn t exist. In the seventeenth century, what is now America s most beguiling metropolis was nothing more than a swamp: prone to flooding, infested with snakes, battered by hurricanes. But through the intense imperial rivalries of Spain, France, and England, and the ambitious, entrepreneurial merchants and settlers from four continents...more
Hardcover, 422 pages
Published
March 30th 2012
by Harvard University Press
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This was a really well researched book with a lot of information about the Spanish rule in New Orleans and the slave, free people of culture, and Creole culture. I was a little disappointed that there was not more information about the nineteenth century when the Americans came, but apparently the editor put the limits on the length. The ending was kind of abrupt and incongruous with the rest of this extremely thorough book. Powell has a marvelously detailed way of describing the main cast of ch...more
Pleasant read and overview on the history of New Orleans as a city if you can survive getting over the French building of the city. Yes, as mentioned in the book, I also found that New Orleanians tend to be more proud of their French roots than their Spanish roots, but based on the "funness" of the read and cultural impact implied in the book, it's the Spanish and their absurd self-identification as Catholic warriors that really built and shaped the intricateness of the city. Honestly, I was sad...more
Powell directs the New Orleans Center for the Gulf South at Tulane. He wrote this book as a rejoinder to critics who proclaimed, post-Katrina, that the city should be allowed to sink back into the river mud from which it arose three centuries ago. He explained how Spain's (Catholic) manumission laws affected the rise of a tripartite racial order--white, free people of color, and African slaves. He mentioned the exact year (1764) and reason for the Jesuits' expulsion from Louisiana. He detailed t...more
Fascinating read about the early origins of NOLA, from the struggle between France and England to establish a presence at the mouth of the Mississippi to the Louisiana Purchase. As a Canadian of French descent, it was eye-opening to understand the connection between New France and New Orleans, beyond the Acadian-Cajun story, which came along later and seemed to affect the areas around New Orleans more than the city itself.
In addition to an expansive knowledge of the main characters of colonial...more
In addition to an expansive knowledge of the main characters of colonial...more
Jan 05, 2013
Diane
marked it as to-read
Lawrence Powell was interviewed by Bob Edwards on 1/3/2013. Powell is a professor emeritus in Tulane University’s Department of History – and the book covers the first 100 years of New Orleans. The Accidental City involves the period from the first hunters, trappers and explorers in the region through the end of The War of 1812.
Very interesting history of the origins of New Orleans and it's early history up to the end of the 19th Century. Cleared up a lot of questions about the culture/language and the unusual history of race relations (as compared to the rest of the country anyways!).
A solid synthesis of New Orleans history prior to it being American territory. Sometimes too dense with unnecessary detail, but overall well-written. I was especially interested in the last third of the book, which focused on race and race relations.
Great read about New Orleans and it's early history. I really enjoyed learning (and in most cases, refreshing my memory) so much about my city.
Great Book on the founding of New Orleans. I had been told that this would to boring and that I would give up after a few chapters, boy were they wrong.
Happily I found two more books on the subject that I want to read. I'm sorry that I can only give this five stars.
Happily I found two more books on the subject that I want to read. I'm sorry that I can only give this five stars.
Great history of early New Orleans. The biography of Iberville and Bienville that begins the book is by far the highlight. I have never read a more enthralling account of those two. Dr. Powell brings them to life.
The best one-volume historical synthesis of the founding of the city and its development through statehood. This is the first volume in a planned trilogy.
Quite an interesting (albeit dense) volume of early New Orleanian history.
Extremely informative, but very dense. It's a slow read with a ton of facts, but still interesting.
Interesting history of the colonial period of Louisiana up through the first decade or so after the Louisiana Purchase. I wish I'd read it before doing the River Road plantations; I would have had a better grounding on the names.
Not very accessible. Maybe for the more serious history buff.
May 19, 2013
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