In 1718 the area of Louisiana currently known as New Orleans, was founded by the French as Nouvelle Orléans. A mere six years later, the French government issued a set of regulations that was aimed at establishing an order between classes, race, and religion – this document was called “Le Code Noir (The Black Code)”. Although it was primarily targeted at black individuals in Louisiana, it also stated that all Jews are to be exiled from the French colony. Nevertheless, this set of laws did not have as large an effect on Jews in New Orleans as one may think. During the 18th century, New Orleans was a center of trade, commerce, and economic prosperity due to the favorable location of its port. Merchants participated in the slave trade, sold various goods, and established connections with neighboring cities and colonies. Colonists in the city were therefore more concerned and engrossed with the developing trade than enforcing a set of laws issued by a government on the other side of the world (Institute of Southern Jewish Life).
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Nevertheless, this freedom the Jews experienced in New Orleans throughout the first half of the 18th century did not last after Spain gained control of the colony in the 1760s. The Spanish government not only retained the regulations depicted in Le Code Noir, but unlike the French colonists, the Spanish government strictly enforced them. So, when Alejandro O’Reilly, was appointed as Governor of colonial Louisiana in 1769, he quickly targeted Jewish families living within the borders of New Orleans. Specifically, he ordered the Monsanto and Britto families to leave the colony because they are, “undesirable on account of the nature of their business and the religion they profess” (Palmer, 1996). It is important to note, however, that O’Reilly specifically targeted the successful and wealthy Jewish families in New Orleans. It is highly probable that he wanted to rid the colony of successful non-Spanish merchants (regardless of their religion) so that Spanish merchants were more likely to rule the trade in that region. Nevertheless, by exiling multiple Jewish families from New Orleans, they were forced to relocate to other areas where they would not experience religious prosecution, such as Florida. Many of these families attempted to reestablish their businesses, but were often unsuccessful. After a few decades, the Monsanto family was allowed to return to New Orleans, but they were never able to attain the success in the trading industry and the fortune that they had once possessed.
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