AP+3.New+Orleans+1940-+1950

1) 2)New Orleans 1940-1950 (Culture) 3)Xavier McLallen 4)The culture of New Orleans during 1940-1950 was one which strengthened America's "melting-pot" image. The population of New Orleans during this time period was very diverse as the majority of people were immigrants from Europe or Africa. Historians explain that "they are more than a mosaic of identities, instead, they have to share a new cultural identity. Neither race nor nationality excludes any group from this common ground" (Hirsch and Logsdon). New Orleans was an isolated area in which people were not excluded because of "race", "nationality", or "identity". The varying histories and lifestyles of individuals' "identities" were allowed to mingle and fuse to create a "common ground". The "common ground" allowed for the creation of a "new cultural identity" which all of New Orleans "shared". Hirsch and Logsdon make it clear that the "new cultural identity" was much "more than a mosaic of identities". Rather than borrowing bits and pieces, as in "a mosaic", all of the present cultures and histories blended into one. Because of this new blend of cultures, the idea of America being a melting-pot of culture was reinforced and emphasized.

New Orleans also created a new culture for the entirety of America through music. After the Civil War, New Orleans' mixed bag of nationalities and cultures blended together to create a new style of music which has remained influential and popular throughout the decades. "African-Americans brought with them a beat and the blues, while European-Americans brought with them the horns of classical and their ethnic bands. Mix that with ragtime sounds of the western United States and a new sound emerged" ("Jazz: America's Music"). The Institute for New Orleans History and Culture reports that "African-Americans" and "European-Americans"-- such as Italian, Irish, and French-Americans -- "mix"-ed different elements of music in order to create "a new sound". When Jazz "emerged", it contained "ragtime sounds of the west", "ethnic" and "classical" tones from "European-Americans, and "a beat and the blues" from "African-Americans". The combination of cultures to create "a new sound" was one of the main reasons jazz became a nationwide hit. People of all different "ethnic" backgrounds and cultures could relate to Jazz, providing America with an entirely new culture of its own.

5) Works Cited Hirsch, Arnold R., and Joseph Logsdon. "The People and Culture of New Orleans." NewOrleansOnline.com. New Orleans, n.d. Web. 8 November 2011 "Jazz: America's Music." gmc.edu. The Institute for New Orleans History and Culture. n.d. Web. 9 November 2011

1) 2) New Orleans 1940-1950 (Audience) 3) Jamie Stevens 4) One of the main audiences in New Orleans during the 1940’s were African-Americans. They came to New Orleans and opened businesses because it was a diverse city. Barbara Worthy explains, “In 1940, blacks in New Orleans owned businesses of innumerable types and sizes, [such as] general stores, insurance companies, cleaners-pressers, newspapers, restaurants, taxicab companies, dentists, and physicians" (Worthy). African-Americans are portrayed as being one of the main audiences in New Orleans because they “owned” important “businesses”. These “businesses” being of “innumerable types and sizes” significantly helped the city, establishing African-Americans as one of the most crucial audiences there. “General stores” and “restaurants” “owned” by “blacks” allowed people to obtain the food and supplies they needed in order to live their lives. African-American “dentists and physicians” provided healthier options for the society of New Orleans. These “types” of “businesses” that helped people live their lives caused New Orleans to grow quickly and make African-Americans one of the most prominent audiences there.

African-Americans were also considered to be an important audience in New Orleans because of their distinctive style of music. They brought an entirely new genre into popularity, making New Orleans one of the most unique cities in America. “There was a revival of Dixieland in the late 1940s and 1950s, which brought many [black] semi-retired musicians a measure of fame as well as bringing retired musicians back onto the jazz circuit after years of not playing” (“Dixieland”). “Dixieland” jazz had already existed, but African-Americans in New Orleans made a unique “revival” of this. It made many “musicians” “fame”-ous again because of the genre’s popularity. Its success also caused “retired musicians” to want to play music again. “The jazz circuit” established an important place for African-Americans. It made them one of the most effective populations within New Orleans.

1) Works Cited: “African Americans in New Orleans”. //Nutrias.org.// New Orleans Public Library. Web. 9 November 2011.

“Dixieland”. //Wikipedia.org.// Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 9 November 2011.

1.  2. New Orleans 1940s-1950s (Aim) 3. Megan Litwicki 4. New Orleans was a diverse city, intended for minorities wanting to live in America during the 1940s-1950s. It featured a vast range of cultures, music and food to entertain and suit all ethnicities. During this time, “New Orleans served as a distinctive cultural gateway to North America, where peoples from Europe and Africa initially intertwined their lives and customs with those of the native inhabitants…” (Hirsch). Being a “cultural gateway,” it is apparent that New Orleans was a welcoming city for those seeking a home in America. It allowed for different “culture”-s to come together and interact with one another free from scrutiny. “People” from “Europe and Africa” came to New Orleans and were able to successfully “intertwine” themselves with the “native inhabitants.” New Orleans catered to accepting all different “culture”-s and “customs”, making its main purpose of being a melting pot blatant. Because New Orleans was designed as an open and inviting city, various ethnicities were able to coexist there during the 1940s-1950s.

The city of New Orleans aimed to have a varied population through its social interactions. In the 1940s-1950s, there was a surge of minority groups searching for an accepting environment. The place that they found was New Orleans, in which, “No group was dominant in the early days and there was a great mixing of the cultures. From this mixing came a unique culture that influenced food, music, architecture, and language” ("A Brief History"). The city of New Orleans was rich with social life, including “food, music architecture, and language,” opening up a new world of options for its inhabitants. Having these various engaging aspects in a society made it a desirable location for people of all races to live in. People formerly faced with prejudice, such as African Americans, Asians, and Native Americans, needed a place that they could include their “culture” while still experiencing the “culture” of others. It is apparent that these minority groups came to New Orleans seeking an accepting and interesting culture, as it was a perfect place for “mixing” “cultures”. Being able to “mix” displays that these groups could successfully enter into New Orleans and not be ostracized. In addition to this, “no group was dominant”, making the idea of equality prevalent. New Orleans’ social sphere welcomed in an immense quantity of ethnicities, allowing for the community and its people to flourish.

5. Works Cited

“A Brief History of New Orleans.” //gmc.edu.// The Institute for New Orleans History and Culture. Web. 8 November 2011.

Hirsch, Arnold R. “The People and Culture of New Orleans.” //neworleansonline.com.// New Orleans. Web. 7 November 2011.

. 2. New Orleans 1940-1950 (Historical) 3. Will Cross 4. The historical implementations that effected //A Street Cat Named Desire//range from a simple music revival to the continuation of racial police beatings. During the 1940's Jazz had a revival in the city of New Orleans. Many people moved up to the northern states in the 1940's looking for a career in music, this movement was known as the Great Migration. The Jazz musicians that stayed in New Orleans created what was later called traditional Jazz. Another major occurrence between 1940 and 1950 within the city of New Orleans was the persistence of racial police beatings. Even with a moderate mayor such as deLesseps Morrison many people still did not feel there was equality among the blacks. Even the mayor was against the desegregation of schools, lunch counters and public transportation.

Works Cited "New Orleans History." //Tureaud and More Tureaud//. Web. 09 Nov. 2011.

"New Orleans: Recreation - Sightseeing, Arts and Culture, Festivals and Holidays, Sports for the Spectator." //Stats about All US Cities - Real Estate, Relocation Info, House Prices, Home Value Estimator, Recent Sales, Cost of Living, Crime, Race, Income, Photos, Education, Maps, Weather, Houses, Schools, Neighborhoods, and More//. Web. 09 Nov. 2011.