Building the devil 's empire french colonial new orleans

Building the Devils Empire is the first comprehensive history of New Orleans early years, tracing the towns development from its origins in 1718 to its revolt against Spanish rule in 1768. Shannon Lee Dawdys picaresque account of New Orleans wild youth features a cast of strong-willed captives, thin-skinned nobles, sharp-tongued women, and carousing travelers. But she also widens her lens to reveal the port citys global significance, examining its role in the French Empire and the Caribbean, and she concludes that by exemplifying a kind of rogue colonialism - where governments, outlaws, and capitalism become entwined - New Orleans should prompt us to reconsider our notions of how colonialism works.