City History: New Orleans 2.4: The End of Congo Square
Jan 19, 2026
A contested public square shifts from open African dances to fences, bans, and white-only redesigns. Laws, moral panic, and changing demographics reshape social life and music. Public spectacles, military uses, and tourism alternately erase and revive the space. Modern preservation fights and drum gatherings aim to reclaim its original cultural identity.
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Racket: A Wild Multiracial Sport
- Children and adults played Racket, a chaotic lacrosse-like game with huge teams and two-foot wooden rackettes.
- The city banned enslaved people from playing rackettes in 1839 and moved the main field away from Congo Square.
Public Punishments Took Place There
- Congo Square hosted slave sales, public executions, pillories, and whippings in the early 1800s.
- Official ordinances and eyewitness accounts confirm the square served as a site of brutal public punishment.
Voodoo's Presence Is Overstated
- Voodoo was present but its role at Congo Square is over-sensationalized and hard to quantify in sources.
- New Orleans voodoo blended African practices with Catholic elements and later moved to more remote sites.
