French-Language Manuscript Materials
The imprint of French culture on Louisiana and the Lower Mississippi Valley has been deep and long lasting. French explorers and colonists were among the earliest Europeans to arrive in the region, beginning in the seventeenth century. Louisiana, named for Louis XIV, belonged to France for much of the 1700s and again from 1800 until it was sold to the United States in 1803. French settlers came to Louisiana both directly from France and indirectly from other areas. The latter included Acadians expelled from present-day Nova Scotia in the mid-eighteenth century and refugees from St. Domingue (present-day Haiti) in 1804. Some followers of Napoleon arrived in Louisiana after their leader's defeat in 1814. Other French immigrants came to Louisiana for a variety of reasons throughout the nineteenth century.
The French-language manuscript resources in the Louisiana and Lower Mississippi Valley Collections (LLMVC) at LSU touch upon all these sources of French cultural influence. This guide to these resources includes descriptions of the papers of early colonists, French-speaking planters and free people of color in the nineteenth century, and residents of cities and towns like New Orleans and Natchitoches. The documents it describes came from farmers and merchants, writers and artists, women and men, the famous and the anonymous.
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Breaux, John B. Papers, 1933, 1938, 1963, 1970-2004 (bulk: 1987-2004). Approx. 781 linear feet . Location: Room B6, Map Cage, Vault:54. Correspondence, briefing books, bills, reports, testimony transcripts, research files, news releases, printed materials, audio-visual and electronic files, photographs and memorabilia documenting the political and U.S. Congressional career of Louisiana Representative (1972-1986) and Senator (1987-2004) John B. Breaux, and the work of his office. In addition to Senate and House files, contains materials related to his campaigns, the Democratic Party, and the Washington Mardi Gras. Topics include, among others, flood control, abortion, transportation, energy, the environment, taxes, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and healthcare, consumer protection, wetlands conservation, base closures in Louisiana, commerce, trade, and agriculture policy, especially for sugar and rice. For additional information, see the online catalog. Mss. 4922. Referenced in Guides: Religion, Spanish, Sugar, Politics, Transportation, Women, New Orleans 1866-, Education, Business, Baton Rouge, Acadiana, African Americans, French, Medicine, LSU, 20th Century Wars
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Breaux, Manuel. Papers, 1785, 1831. 2 items. Location: MISC:B. Sale of property (copy) in St. James Parish, Louisiana by Marguerite Breaux to Manuel Breaux (1785) and a document listing several land claims as found in the decisions of the Board of Commissioners for the Eastern District of Orleans (1831). In French. For further information, see online catalog. Mss. 42. |
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Breazeale, Nita Sims. Family Papers, 1811-1981 (bulk 1905-1943). 9.5 linear ft., 3 v. Location: 47:8-12, OS:B, N:9, 65:3, vault. Baton Rouge, La. resident. Papers relate to the Breazeale and Sims families of Baton Rouge, Donaldsonville, and Natchitoches, La. They consists of correspondence, legal documents, printed material, photographs, and artifacts related to World War I and World War II, Bundles for Britain, Inc., genealogy, and state and local history. For further information see online catalog. Mss. 2442. Referenced in Guides: Business, Baton Rouge, African Americans, French, German, LSU, 20th Century Wars
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Breazeale, Robert. Certificate, 1794. 1 item. Location: Misc.:B. Certificate signed by Durel, in 1794, verifiying Chitimachas Indian land in the Attakapas District cultivated by Robert [Breazeale]. In French. For further information, see online catalog. Mss. 889. Referenced in Guides: French
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Breda, Jean Philippe, 1808-1882. Family Papers, 1776-1921. 1,070 items and 31 vols., 3 mf reel. Location: B:64-65, J:13, 98:, OS:B, Mss.Mf:B, Vault:3. Physician and druggist of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana. Letters, personal papers, and business records of Dr. Breda concerning his medical practice, Louisiana politics, and family matters; together with correspondence and papers of his son, J. Ernest Breda, relating to the Civil War and politics. In French. For further information, see online catalog. Mss. 953, 966, 1021. |