Cher Quadroon Poem by Illustrious Da Poet
In the French and Spanish slave colonies of North America, including the Caribbean, a unique extralegal system called plaçage emerged. Plaçage involved civil unions between ethnic European men and women of African, Native American, and mixed-race descent. Although these relationships were not legally recognized as marriages, they held significant social and economic importance. This article explores the history and significance of plaçage, shedding light on its development, practices, and impact on the free people of color.
Origins of Plaçage
The roots of plaçage can be traced back to the early colonial periods in French and Spanish slave colonies. These regions were predominantly populated by European men due to the shortage of European women at the time. Male explorers, colonists, and soldiers sought companionship with Native American women, free women of color, and enslaved Africans. However, due to the harsh conditions and challenges of persuading women to join them, alternative arrangements were sought.
Women from Poor Houses and King's Daughters
France attempted to address the shortage of women by sending women convicted along with their debtor husbands and young women orphans known as "King's Daughters" to the colonies for marriage. However, the women sent from poor houses were often former prostitutes, creating dissatisfaction among the settlers in Saint-Domingue. As a result, France discontinued the practice of sending brides from France to the French West Indies, leading to the development of plaçage as an alternative system.
Meanwhile, in Canada and Louisiana, France recruited willing women from farms and cities, known as "casket girls," who brought their possessions in small trunks or caskets. The Ursulines, an order of nuns, chaperoned these casket girls until they married. However, historian Joan Martin questions the documentation of casket girls' migration to Louisiana and emphasizes that some Creole families today, identified as white, have African or multiracial ancestors who intermarried with whites over generations.
Interracial Relationships and the Code Noir
During this period, interracial marriage was forbidden according to the Code Noir, a set of laws governing the conduct of slaves and free people of color. However, interracial relationships and premarital sex persisted, particularly among the upper-class European men who often delayed marriage until their late twenties or early thirties. They would engage in relationships with women of color, especially if they were of high rank. The resulting mixed-race children became an integral part of the plaçage system and the emerging class of free people of color.
The Practice of Plaçage
Plaçage involved a range of relationships between free women of color and white men. Contrary to popular belief, Emily Clark challenges the notion that plaçage was primarily based on contractual marriages. Instead, she argues that the practice comprised various relationships that originated in different ways and often lasted a lifetime. These relationships were recognized among the free people of color as "marriages de la main gauche" or left-handed marriages.
Property Settlements and Freedom
Institutionalized through contracts or negotiations, plaçage often involved settling property on the woman and her children. In some cases, these arrangements also granted freedom to enslaved women and their offspring. The wealthy white men who engaged in plaçage could maintain multiple families, with one being legally recognized and the others being their placées and their children.
Geographic Spread and Influence
Plaçage was most prevalent in New Orleans, where the planter society had amassed enough wealth to support the system. Kenneth Aslakson's research indicates that plaçage was widely practiced in New Orleans, contributing to its reputation as a cosmopolitan city. The system also extended to other Latin-influenced cities such as Natchez, Biloxi, Mobile, St. Augustine, Pensacola, and even Saint-Domingue (now Haiti). The influence of plaçage reached its zenith between 1769 and 1803 during the Spanish colonial period.
The Role of Free People of Color
Plaçage played a crucial role in the lives of free women of color and their descendants, who became known as the gens de couleur libres or free people of color. These individuals occupied a unique position in society, situated between the white Creoles and the enslaved black population. They enjoyed certain status, rights, and opportunities for education and property acquisition.
Economic and Social Mobility
Plaçage provided free women of color with economic security and social mobility. Wealthy white men would often establish separate residences for their placées and their children, ensuring their financial support. This arrangement allowed the women and their offspring to become part of the society of Creoles of color. Despite not being recognized legally or socially as wives, placées played a significant role in the lives of their white partners.
Leadership and Influence
The descendants of plaçage unions went on to become leaders in New Orleans and other former French cities. They held political office in the city and state, contributing to the development of the African-American middle class in the United States. The Haitian Revolution in the late 18th and early 19th centuries brought an influx of French-speaking free people of color to New Orleans, further enriching the cultural fabric of the city.
Conclusion
Plaçage was a complex and unique system that emerged in the French and Spanish slave colonies of North America. While not legally recognized as marriages, these civil unions between white men and women of color had significant social and economic implications. Plaçage provided economic security and social mobility to free women of color, with the resulting mixed-race descendants playing influential roles in society. Understanding the history and significance of plaçage helps shed light on the complexities of race, class, and relationships in the colonial era.
