L A G U E R R E P L A N T A T I O N - H I S T O R Y
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La Guerre (pronounced "la gair") Plantation was founded in 1808 by Colonel Carmichael and his wife Isabelle, who bought 1500 acres of land and named it after their French ancestors (famous French warriors whose last name means "war-like"). Over 30 slaves lived in primitive shacks around the plantation, and like many other plantations, the slaves here were treated as property to be abused as their owners saw fit. Slaves were humiliated, whipped, beaten and often killed as punishment for disobedience. Rumor has it that over 60 slaves lost their lives in the nearly 192-year history of the plantation. Female slaves often became objects of the owners' sexual desires, and rape was common practice.
During this time, many slaves arriving in America brought over the religion of Voodoo, based on an African religion called Ife (pronounced "eefay"). Voodoo helped African-Americans establish a communal spiritual identity. Many Voodoo rituals involve sacrifices in order to communicate with the many gods and bring on spells and curses. Most whites feared the Voodoo practitioners who were thought to be able to put deadly hexes on people or inflict serious illnesses on them.
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