Congo Square facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Congo Square
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Congo Square
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 Location in East New Orleans
Location in Louisiana
Location in the United States
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| Location | Jct. of Rampart and St. Peter Sts., New Orleans, Louisiana |
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| Area | 2.7 acres (1.1 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 92001763 |
| Added to NRHP | January 28, 1993 |
Congo Square (French: Place Congo) is an open area in Louis Armstrong Park in New Orleans, Louisiana. It's located in the Tremé neighborhood, just north of the French Quarter. This square is very important in the history of African American music, especially jazz.
Contents
The Story of Congo Square
In the 1700s, when Louisiana was ruled by France and Spain, enslaved Africans usually had Sundays off. A law called the Code Noir (Black Code) was made in 1724. It gave enslaved people Sundays off. But it didn't give them the right to gather together.
Even so, they often met in secret places. They gathered along rivers, in public squares, and in backyards. One special spot was a clearing by Bayou St. John called "la place congo." Here, different groups of people traded and socialized.
In 1817, the mayor of New Orleans made a rule. It said that enslaved Africans could only gather in one place. This place was called "Place des Nègres" or "Place Publique." Later, people called it "Circus Square" or "Place Congo." It was at the "back of town," across from the French Quarter. Here, enslaved people set up a market. They would sing, dance, and play music. This started because of the market during French rule. At that time, enslaved people could buy their freedom. They could also buy and sell goods in the square to earn money to escape slavery.
Music and Dance Flourish
This tradition continued after the Louisiana Purchase. That's when the city became part of the United States. In other American states, African music was often stopped. So, the weekly gatherings at Congo Square became famous. Visitors from all over the U.S. came to see them.
Many people came to New Orleans from the Haitian Revolution. They brought more enslaved Africans and Creoles. This strengthened African traditions in the city, including music. Many visitors were amazed by the African-style dancing and music. They heard the beat of bamboulas (drums) and the sound of banzas (like banjos). They saw many African dances that had survived over time.
Dances like the Bamboula, Calinda, Congo, Carabine, and Juba were seen in Congo Square. The rhythms played there can still be heard today. You can hear them in New Orleans jazz funerals, second lines, and Mardi Gras Indians parades.
What People Saw
Townsfolk would gather on Sunday afternoons to watch the dancing. In 1819, an architect named Benjamin Henry Latrobe visited the city. He wrote about the celebrations in his journal. He found them "savage," but he was amazed. He saw 500-600 enslaved people dancing without supervision.
He described them wearing tails of small animals. They had fringes, ribbons, little bells, and shells. These jingled and moved around their legs and arms. One person said the women wore the newest fashions. They had silk, gauze, muslin, and percale dresses. The men wore oriental and Indian clothes. They sometimes only had a sash wrapped around their bodies.
One witness noticed that groups of people gathered by tribe. Each group had its own spot in the square. The musicians used many different instruments. They had drums, gourds, banjo-like instruments, and "quills." Quills were like pan flutes made from reeds. They also had marimbas and European instruments. These included the violin, tambourines, and triangles.
Over time, the music in the square gained more European influence. Enslaved English-speaking Africans danced to songs like “Old Virginia Never Tire.” This mix of African and European styles helped create African American culture.
A Creole composer named Louis Moreau Gottschalk used these rhythms. He put tunes he heard in Congo Square into his music. One famous piece is his Bamboula, Op. 2.
As slavery practices in the United States became harsher, the gatherings slowly stopped. The last dances in the square likely ended more than ten years before slavery was abolished. This happened with the American Civil War.
Spiritual Practices
Besides music and dancing, Congo Square was a place for enslaved Black people to express their spirituality. This freedom on Sundays led to Voodoo ceremonies. Voodoo is an old religion. It came from West Africans who were brought to New Orleans in the 1700s.
Voodoo was most common from the 1820s to the 1860s. Congo Square allowed people to see this interesting practice. The Voodoo ceremonies in Congo Square were different from traditional Voodoo. True Voodoo rituals were more secret and focused on religion. But Voodoo in Congo Square was more for entertainment and celebrating African culture. Some of the dances and music heard in Congo Square came from these Voodoo ceremonies.
Marie Laveau was a famous Voodoo queen. She led Voodoo dances in Congo Square in the 1830s. She also held more secret rituals by Lake Pontchartrain and St. John's Bayou.
Hoodoo practices were also seen in Congo Square. Folklorist Newbell Niles Puckett wrote about them. African Americans would pour offerings at the four corners of Congo Square at midnight during a dark moon. During slavery, a ring shout was performed. This sacred dance in Hoodoo called on spirits for help and healing.
Congo Square Becomes Official
In the late 1800s, the square became a famous music spot again. This time, brass bands played concerts. These bands were from the area's "Creole of color" community.
In 1893, the square was officially named “Beauregard Square.” This was to honor P. G. T. Beauregard, a Confederate General. City leaders tried to stop the large gatherings at the square with this name change. But most local people still called it "Congo Square."
Freddi Williams Evans, a New Orleans author, pushed for the name change. In 2011, City Councilwoman Kristin Gisleson Palmer created a law to rename the area Congo Square. Palmer said that by bringing back the name, Congo Square would be remembered as the birthplace of New Orleans culture and music. She also said that jazz is the only truly American art form, and it likely started in Congo Square. In 2011, the New Orleans City Council officially voted to bring back the name Congo Square.
In the 1920s, the New Orleans Municipal Auditorium was built behind the square. This changed some of the Tremé neighborhood.
In the 1960s, a project called urban renewal tore down a large part of the Tremé neighborhood around the square. After ten years of discussion, the city turned the land into Louis Armstrong Park. Old Congo Square is now part of this park.
Starting in 1970, the city held the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival at Congo Square. As more people came, the festival moved to the larger New Orleans Fairgrounds. Today, Congo Square is still an important place for music festivals. It's also a community gathering spot for brass band parades, protest marches, and drum circles.
Congo Square Today
Today, people still celebrate the history and culture of New Orleans in Congo Square. The Congo Square Preservation Society is a group that works to keep the square's history alive. Every Sunday, they continue the tradition. They gather for drum circles, dancing, and other music performances.
Other events happen in Congo Square every year. These include Martin Luther King Day celebrations and the Red Dress Run. Many weddings, festivals, and concerts also take place in the park. On Martin Luther King Day, a march starts in the park. It goes to the Martin Luther King Jr. Monument. In 2012, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu gave a speech there. He asked the city to reduce violence.
The yearly Red Dress Run starts in Congo Square. It is organized by the New Orleans Hash House Harriers, a running group. Runners wear all red for this race. The money raised goes to local charities. After the 2014 race, it was announced that over one million dollars had been given to more than 100 New Orleans charities.
See also
In Spanish: Congo Square para niños
- List of music venues
