Carl A. Brasseaux
Encyclopedia
Carl Anthony Brasseaux (born August 19, 1951) is a historian
of French Colonial North America, and particularly of Louisiana
and the Cajun
people. He helped to pioneer the field of Cajun history, and his published works on this topic represent the first serious, in-depth examination of the history of the ethnic group
.
, the seat of St. Landry Parish, in south Louisiana
. He grew up in the prairie Cajun town of Sunset
. He received his Bachelor of Arts
and Master of Arts
degrees from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
, then named the University of Southwestern Louisiana. He obtained his doctorate in North American studies at the Université de Paris (otherwise commonly known as the Sorbonne
or La Sorbonne)."Brasseaux among Top USL Honorees," Daily Advertiser (Lafayette, La.), 23 April 1995.
of the Colonial Records Collections.
At the Center for Louisiana Studies, Brasseaux is involved with Louisiana Digital Folklore Archive. This massive collection includes the Center for Acadian
and Creole
Folklore — regarded as the largest compilation of media resources pertaining to these two south Louisiana ethnic groups.
Brasseaux formerly served as managing editor
of Louisiana History, the publication of the Louisiana Historical Association
, based at ULL. The interim editor is Brasseaux's ULL colleague, Michael S. Martin. Brasseaux has also been the managing editor of Louisiana Historical Quarterly, the publication of the Louisiana Historical Society, which operates from New Orleans
.
He has written fiction under the pseudonym
Antoine Bourque.
In 1991, the French government awarded Brasseaux the title of Chevalier in l'Order des Palmes Académiques
, an honor reserved for those whose scholarly pursuits are deemed to contribute significantly to French culture.
Kathleen Blanco
, on November 8, 2003, at a ceremony held at the 2nd annual Louisiana Book Festival in Baton Rouge.
Brasseaux is the editor of the two-volume A Dictionary of Louisiana Biography (1988), a tool for researchers in multiple fields of study.
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
of French Colonial North America, and particularly of Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
and the Cajun
Cajun
Cajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. state of Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles...
people. He helped to pioneer the field of Cajun history, and his published works on this topic represent the first serious, in-depth examination of the history of the ethnic group
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
.
Background and education
Brasseaux was born in OpelousasOpelousas, Louisiana
Opelousas is a city in and the parish seat of St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies at the junction of Interstate 49 and U.S. Route 190. The population was 22,860 at the 2000 census. Although the 2006 population estimate was 23,222, a 2004 annexation should put the city's...
, the seat of St. Landry Parish, in south Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. He grew up in the prairie Cajun town of Sunset
Sunset, Louisiana
Sunset is a town in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,897 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Opelousas–Eunice Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Sunset is located at ....
. He received his Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
and Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degrees from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, or UL Lafayette, is a coeducational, public research university located in Lafayette, Louisiana, in the heart of Acadiana...
, then named the University of Southwestern Louisiana. He obtained his doctorate in North American studies at the Université de Paris (otherwise commonly known as the Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
or La Sorbonne)."Brasseaux among Top USL Honorees," Daily Advertiser (Lafayette, La.), 23 April 1995.
Career
Brasseaux is director of the Center for Louisiana Studies, as well as of the Center for Cultural and Eco-Tourism, both located at UL-L. He is a member of the university history department and has served as curatorCurator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
of the Colonial Records Collections.
At the Center for Louisiana Studies, Brasseaux is involved with Louisiana Digital Folklore Archive. This massive collection includes the Center for Acadian
Acadian
The Acadians are the descendants of the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Acadia . Acadia was a colony of New France...
and Creole
Louisiana Creole people
Louisiana Creole people refers to those who are descended from the colonial settlers in Louisiana, especially those of French and Spanish descent. The term was first used during colonial times by the settlers to refer to those who were born in the colony, as opposed to those born in the Old World...
Folklore — regarded as the largest compilation of media resources pertaining to these two south Louisiana ethnic groups.
Brasseaux formerly served as managing editor
Managing editor
A managing editor is a senior member of a publication's management team.In the United States, a managing editor oversees and coordinates the publication's editorial activities...
of Louisiana History, the publication of the Louisiana Historical Association
Louisiana Historical Association
The Louisiana Historical Association is an organization of professional historians and interested laypersons dedicated to the preservation, publication, and dissemination of the history of the U.S. state of Louisiana, with particular emphasis at the inception on territorial, statehood, and the...
, based at ULL. The interim editor is Brasseaux's ULL colleague, Michael S. Martin. Brasseaux has also been the managing editor of Louisiana Historical Quarterly, the publication of the Louisiana Historical Society, which operates from New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
.
He has written fiction under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
Antoine Bourque.
In 1991, the French government awarded Brasseaux the title of Chevalier in l'Order des Palmes Académiques
Palmes académiques
The Ordre des Palmes Académiques is an Order of Chivalry of France for academics and cultural and educational figures...
, an honor reserved for those whose scholarly pursuits are deemed to contribute significantly to French culture.
Awards
Brasseaux received the 2003 Louisiana Writer Award for his enduring contribution to the "literary intellectual heritage of Louisiana." The award was presented to him by then Lieutenant GovernorLieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...
Kathleen Blanco
Kathleen Blanco
Kathleen Babineaux Blanco was the 54th Governor of Louisiana, having served from January 2004 until January 2008. She was the first woman to be elected to the office of governor of Louisiana....
, on November 8, 2003, at a ceremony held at the 2nd annual Louisiana Book Festival in Baton Rouge.
Works
Brasseaux has published more than 30 books, including:- Acadian to Cajun: Transformation of a People, 1803-1877 (1992)
- Creoles of Color in the Bayou Country [with Keith Fontenot and Claude F. Oubre] (1994)
- The Founding of New Acadia: The Beginnings of Acadian Life in Louisiana, 1765-1803 (1987)
- French, Cajun, Creole, Houma: A Primer on Francophone Louisiana (2005)
- "Scattered to the Wind": Dispersal and Wanderings of the Acadians, 1755-1809 (1991)
- Stir the Pot: A History of Cajun Cuisine [with Marcelle Bienvenu and Ryan A. Brasseaux] (2005)
Brasseaux is the editor of the two-volume A Dictionary of Louisiana Biography (1988), a tool for researchers in multiple fields of study.