Concessions are agricultural operations, territorial compensation given
to shareholders in the trading company. Based on the size of their investment,
they are given a certain plot of land and a set number of black slaves.
In principal, the concession is granted by the colony's governor and ordonnateur,
the king's dependants. In practice, however, under the Company of the Indies,
the company's directors have discreetly taken this task upon themselves.
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Dumont de Montigny, Fort Rosalie
and the French settlements at Natchez ca. 1728, detail of the
Terre Blanche concession
AN, Cartes et Plans, N III Louisiane 1/2" |
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The concession itself is composed of the master's house, more or less rich
(the origin of the famous Louisiana "plantations"), one or more
storehouses, and various farm buildings depending on the type of farming
being done: corn, wheat, indigo, cotton, or sugar cane. Livestock is also
raised, like in Europe, from which poultry and cattle are imported, as well
as turkeys, steers and American bison. Off to one side of the farmland is
the slave camp, composed of identical cabins, regularly spaced to make surveillance
easier. A day of rest on Sunday is obligatory, giving rise to parties, singing
and dancing that impress the Europeans.
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Dumont de Montigny, The Chapitoulas
concession ca. 1726
Service historique de la Marine, Service hydrographique, Recueil
68/72 |
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