Spanish Governor Alejandro Count de O’Reilly was Captain-General of Louisiana after France ceded the territory to Spain. His reign started in April 1769 to December 1769. Actually, it was a bit shorter as he didn’t arrive in New Orleans until August 1769. He held several trials to punish French Creoles who expelled Governor Antonio de Ulloa from the colony. Two months later he executed six prominent French colonists, earning him the name “Bloody O’Reilly.” He restored order and stabilized the new Spanish colony. But it’s the other thing he did, that Wikipedia doesn’t cover, that is the topic of this blog post.
O’Reilly restricted New Orleans to only twelve taverns. I’m unable to find how long this law lasted, but if it would have held until the time of my forthcoming book, Bill’s Cajun House of Pleasure which takes place from 1939 to 1969, think of how different the Big Easy would have been during that time. Twelve taverns in the city of Mardi Gras. As Bill might say, “That’s about as useful as a dirty empty glass in a man’s hands.”
Governor Alejandro O’Reilly
By Francisco José de Goya – MyArtPrints.co.uk, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7280134
History doesn’t write itself, but it is very interesting to research and find what was recorded by those who were there. Governor O’Reilly used a heavy hand to restore order after the Louisiana Rebellion of 1868. How does limiting the Crescent City to twelve taverns factor into his time in office? We may never know. I won’t until I can find some time, and monetary funds, to hit the library’s in Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Does anybody want to donate to this cause?
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What I’m Reading – Many readers I know like to inquire what their favorite author is reading. At the end of each blog post, I’ll let you know what book I have my nose in. I may not be a published author yet, but I hope my choice of reading material inspires you to read. Currently, I’m reading Mourner’s Bench by Sanderia Faye. I encourage you to read a variety of topics.
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