The Origin and History of Cajun Culture Essay

Ragin CajunThe beginning of the Cajun culture dates all the way back to the 17th century when the Acadians, as they were called at the time, were exiled from Acadia, what is now Nova Scotia, by the English. They settled in Louisiana, their New Acadia, along the Mississippi River (Herbert). Shortly afterwards, Louisiana became the property of the United States and this brought in waves of new settlers like the Irish and the Italians who adopted many Acadian, known as Cajun, customs. The Acadians themselves remained relatively the same throughout the century. They stayed out of war and conflict unless they knew they were fighting the English (Herbert). The big change for the Cajun culture came in the 20th century. The Cajuns generally stay close to home, marry within the culture and speak only French (Herbert). The US government passed a law that the Cajun children must go to their schools that speak English as a first language and when the oil business started booming in Louisiana, it brought in a new wave of people making the Cajuns look outward for their marital relations. When war broke out, many of the Cajuns decided it was time to move on and spread out across the world in search for a new home (Herbert). Now many people do not know that there is a big difference between the Creole and the Cajun people. The Creole people are descendants of French colonists who fled Saint Domingue for North Americas Gulf Coast when a slave insurrection in 1791 challenged French authority (Caver). The slaves won the revolt and settled their own territory in Haiti. In Louisiana, the term Creole came to represent children of black or racially mixed parents as well as children of French and Spanish descent (Craver). The Creoles mostly settled in Mobile Alabama and New Orleans, Louisiana. In my report I am focusing on food and it is important to know the difference between Creole and...