Woman in Tignon credit
“Did you know that in late 18th century Louisiana, black and multiracial women were ordered to cover their hair in public?” My sister asked me.
“WOW. Really?” I replied.
I’d probably heard of this in one of my black studies classes in undergrad, but who remembers everything they’ve been taught? Besides, this information felt instantly relevant and I was absolutely intrigued.
It wasn’t unusual for me to feel myself gaining brain cells while in conversation with my sisters, but by the time I caught my racing thoughts so I could ask her some questions, it was time to take care of my baby girl. I knew, however that this was a topic worth visiting again.
With a little digging I found that there was in fact a “law” of sorts that demanded women of color in Louisiana to cover their hair with a fabric cloth starting in 1789 as a part of what was called the Bando du buen gobierno (Edict for Good Government). What these rules were meant to do was try to curtail the growing influence of the free black population and keep the social order of the time. The edict included sections specifically about the changing of certain “unacceptable” behaviors of the free black women in the colony including putting an end to what he and others believed to be the overly ostentatious hairstyles of these ladies which drew the attention of white men, and the jealousy of white women. These rules are called the “Tignon Laws” A tignon (pronounced “tiyon”) is a headdress.
Apparently, women of color were wearing their hair in such fabulous ways, adding jewels and feathers to their high hairdos and walking around with such beauty and pride that it was obscuring their status. This was very threatening to the social stability (read: white population) of the area at the time. The law was meant to distinguish women of color from their white counterparts and to minimize their beauty.
Black and multi racial women began to adopt the tignon, but not without a little ingenuity. Many tied the tignon in elaborate ways and used beautiful fabrics and other additions to the headdress to make them appealing. In the end, what was meant to draw less attention to them made these ladies even more beautiful and alluring.
This bit of history only makes me feel even more proud about wearing my natural hair out or in pretty head wraps.
My take away: We should realize and embrace the inherent beauty of our blackness and all that makes us unique, especially our hair. Even history teaches us it’s all so notably beautiful!
Have you heard of any additional laws specifically targeting black women of the past?
To read more:
Clinton, Catherine and Michele Gillespie. Sex and Race in the Early South. New York: Orxford University Press, 1997.
Fosset, Judith Jackson and Jeffrey A. Tucker. Race Consciousness. New York: New York University Press. 1997.
Roman, Miriam Jimenez and Juan Flores. The Afro-Latin@ Reader History and Culture in the United States. Duke University Press, 2010.
“Tignon of Colonial Lousiana” http://medianola.org/ Jeila Martin Kershaw Web. 5 July 2014
Roberts, Kevin David, B.A.; M.A. Slaves and Slavery in Louisiana:
The Evolution of Atlantic World Identities, 1791–1831. Diss. The University of Texas at Austin, 2003.
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271 Comments on "Shocking History: Why Women of Color in the 1800s Were Banned From Wearing Their Hair in Public"
Very interesting to know! Had no idea…
thanks, mlank 64! You just cleared up a lot questions I had about why I couldn’t find a lot about my 4-times great-grandfather Alphonse a white Spanish man and my 4-times great-grandmother Rosella a mulatta from Louisiana. That’s why I love this site, I learn something new all the time on here.
There is a new one recently passed in the army…
My great-aunt was a maid. My Grandmom told me she would have to wear hair in a scarf, bc white women, didn’t want their husbands, looking at her.
This doesn’t surprise me at all. They have had hate for black women for centuries.
Wow, how telling is that? …It could ironically be argued today that present media/social beauty rules & “laws”, which are Eurocentric and Caucasian directed, demand that women of colour cover their natural hair or in some way disguise or conceal it with the following: Chemical relaxers, weaves, bleach,… Basically anything which betrays its natural state and conceals or at least detracts from its Afrocentric appearance. Sadly, in order to gain social acceptance and feel “beautiful” many black women comply. The good news is, many of us are waking up to this fact.
Yayla…absolutely!!! That’s why when people say ‘what’s the big deal…it’s just hair” You know they don’t have a complete understanding of their history. Knowledge is power. When you understand your history, your unique beauty, and the reactions to our understanding of our history then it is all that more important to wear our hair proudly in its natural state.
Thanks Mlank64 🙂 I appreciate your support & am really encouraged by all the thumbs ups to see there are others who feel the same way too.
No, I haven’t but this turned out to be pretty awesome how this backfired on the white women that mistreated black women of that time. If the white men want the black women, they were going for them anyway because they were forbidden and had curves that most white women of that time only dreamed of. Lmbo! This was sad in the beginning but turned out to be awesome in the end. #HappyToBeABlackFemale
“If the white men want the black women, they were going for them anyway because they were forbidden and had curves that most white women of that time only dreamed of.”
Often times at the detriment of black and multiracial women, unfortunately.
“Often times at the detriment of black and multiracial women, unfortunately.” You are so right. Its not like those men had any respect for Black or multiracial women. Especially during that time period. Even now, alot of them walk around with this sense of entitlement and superiority when it comes to other races of women. They are taught from early childhood that it is their “birthright” to have any woman they want and that they are at the top of every society.
Glad to know this. Thanks for the article!
very well written and insightful!
Never knew this! Very interesting. Also interesting that this article falls on the heels of the great debate of WW joining the natural hair movement. Many are so adamant that we should be inclusive, but this article is another point as to why the “struggle” is not the same and should not be equated.
Great read!
Yes, I have heard of this law and historical period. Those Black women took those Tignon and added so much flair and style, they became a fashion statement. SEE Marie Laveau…
I already knew this but very interesting.
One of many reasons there is a natural hair movement for black women. 🙂
Nicely written Cassandre, makes me very curious!
You still wanna compare a white women’s struggle to ours.
I really enjoyed this article. It was beautifully written.
I love learning information like this. It’s so funny because I look at both pictures and they still look fabulous. If you’re born beautiful not even dirt can make you look bad! Thank you for the info.
Black ingenuity coming from way back! *cackling*
Yet another story of how women of non-ethnic background felt threatened by our appearance. Now they’ve gone from envious & threatened to envious & emulating. They copy our lips, our hair, our hips & our butts smh. Whatever race a woman is, she should embrace it & just thank God she’s a woman period!
#doyou
Please, please, please, please post more articles like this.
Awesome read!
This is an interesting piece of our history. To think the fascination with our natural hair goes so far back. I love that the women turned the Tignon into a fashion item, it feels like a deliberate middle finger to the ridiculous edict.
I wish I could say I was surprised; but I’m not. Many of the rules against colored people were based on curbing the “white male gaze”, which threatened the myth of white female beauty/western standards of beauty. Miscegenation laws were created only after men of color (read: black men) came over to North America; otherwise, white men were mating with women of color.
There’s always something sinister behind laws. We must go deeper. Thanks for sharing. (Hell, we rocked the scarves and they still looked! Damned if you do, damned if you don’t)
I think “mating with” implies consent, when often they would rape black (and indigenous) women. I think we should remember that many of these women could not consent under slavery and that many were also underaged/teenagers.
True, as there wasn’t any real consent. Totally agree.
wow!!!! this article was so amazingly written and so informative!!! please keep writing articles like this!!! loving this writer!
I was just telling my sister about this. The documentary Dark Girls touched on this subject. This is why natural hair is so important. For hundreds of years we were told to cover our beauty, and that other races were more beautiful and desirable. Loved the article, thank you.
For all interested, Dark Girls is now on Netflix!
Even they knew the beauty and power of our hair and I am so happy more of us are embracing it.
Oops & Sorry, this is a different “Queen” from the post above mine 🙂 I didn’t notice you had used the same name, or I would’ve picked a different one to avoid confusion lol.
It’s nice that your mood changed from uneasy to proud within seconds. My 19 y/o sister who is also natural went to a resturaunt and said white people just stared. The entire table’s focus silently shiftred toward her and made her uncomfortable. I find that some people’s curiosity can come off as rude. As old as I am, my parents would still scold me if I stared at people like that. Lol
I’m going to remember this story.
Amazing. I never knew this, but we all know who writes the history books…
Anyways, this made me appreciate my natural hair journey even more. Now only if every Black woman and woman of color recognized their beauty..we’d shut the world down!!
Thank you so much for the history of Tignon, I have never heard of it until now. Wow! I am sharing this on my Facebook. 🙂
This article was so awesome and informative. I can’t wait to share this with other women of various backgrounds that I know. It’s amazing that even when they tried to hide our beauty all they did was make us shine more.
http://char.txa.cornell.edu/Griebel.htm
Read this article very interesting.
But you see these sell-out black women agreeing with white women talking about “Oh, it’s just hair! Stop being so mean!”
What an embarrassment because those sistas obviously don’t even know their own history.
It’s not surprising. Many of us new naturals were ignorant at one point or another of our own hair but we’ve also been able to gain knowledge, but we were willing to learn.
“My people parish for lack of knowledge”
You are right–and I’m guilty of making the “its just hair” comments myself.
Obviously its not just hair. I wont be saying that anymore 😉
Can’t NO ONE wear and style a scarf like Black women can. Amazing but while trying to shut them down over wearing their hair out publically, they couldn’t shut down their creativity. Thanks for sharing!
Black women exude unlimited beauty. From our fabulous lush hair to our glowng skin. We can wear vibrant makeup colors like no other. We can wear a purple lipstick and own it like no other or a fuschia eyeshadow and command attention like no other.
So, Hebrew women are suppose to have their hair wrapped, especially when they pray, but you don’t know anything about that because you fell into the belief that we originated from Africa, and know nothing about your Israeli ancestors.
Jewish people spoke/speak HEBREW nut case. How is WEST Africa even related to the HEBREW speaking language i will never know? People in the Nation of Islam or the Nation of Yahweh nonsense are so retarded.
Hebrew and Arabic are semitic languages…both of these languages are related to/similar to the semitic languages of Ethiopia.….Ethiopia is the mother of Egyptian civilization.….christ
You missed the point of the article entirely.…Or are you intentionally being obtuse? THIS is a prime example of why me must research our own history and not just read the stuff that is fed us in the public school system
You’re reaching and know nothing of your african background so you pick and chose a bunch of bullshit to create you identity. Pleas drop your busted ankh.
How are Orthodox (EUROPEAN) jewish traditions part of our heritage?
Israeli ancestor??? Israel didn’t exist until 1945!!
PLEASE
Interesting.…lol.some people.…..an orthodox Jew or Hasidic told a friend of mine that everyone knows the original Jews in the bible were (shock!!!!!!.….Black. Some of the oldest Christian churches are in Ethiopia.….Christianity left Africa and then came back.…..also..forget it
Learn about African history not just about Arabs.
But, no, let’s allow white women to co-opt OUR natural hair movement, tho…They’ve been through so much sociopolitical struggle in regards to their hair. Almost as much as Black women have gone through!!!
A M A Z I N G! Black women and our hair are amazing
Check out the South Carolina Negro Slave Act of 1735 and the South Carolina Grand Jury of 1745. These were sumptuary laws restricting how slaves could dress and what they could wear. The SC Grand Jury convened in 1745 to determine why poor black slave women wear dressing better than poor white women. It was determined that it was because they were either stealing the clothing or sleeping with white men to get it.
Historically, white people have always searched and searched for ways to “prove” how inferior we were. Acting like a European was just so hard, there was no WAY we could have done it, right? lmao, they make me roll my eyes.
“Sleeping with white men or stealing”?? Oh dear, that’s bringing flashbacks of tha scene with Patsy from the brilliant film
“12 years a slave” when she returns with That small bar of soap to her jealous, paranoid/lunatic white slave owner. I think the film should be shown in all secondary schools to educate everyone.
Black women should corporately come to together to celebrate this…perhaps a special day celebrated once a year where we wear tignons. This would be a great way for the black culture to unite.
Ooo I really like this idea. Shot make it week!
yessss!!!
I minored in African American Studies in undergrad and received my Master’s in Africana Studies in grad school and have never come across this phenomenon prior to reading this article. Thanks for the info! Great article by the way.
A blogger who includes REFERENCES?! <3
they just hate me ’cause they ain’t me
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The head scarves were also used to distinguish very fair mixed women(who were considered black even if they were 90% white)from white women. Because God forbid that black woman would have been treated with respect by any white person.
The writer stated that it was part(meaning not the entirety) of the law…thank you for sharing there were 33 others(Edict of good punishment) …The fact that it became a trend(according to your data) indicates to me that it was 1. well known to the public 2.backfired as punishment(no-brainer if you have seen the fly headscarf tutorials on youtube…obviously the sistas made keeping the law look really good).…please, you still have not shown where the article was not “entirely true”…is there more??
This response is downvoted for simply disagreeing with the article?! If someone gave it a ‘thumbs down’ why not question, disagree or respond to it? So much easier to quickly dismiss it.…
very informative. but was slave not completely abolished in the late 19th century? meaning the slaves then would look different from the free white population
This was referencing the free blacks I believe if you read the article
Also Adeola, slavery may have been abolished in the U.S. 1863, but even after the Civil War, some groups resisted freeing their slaves (namely native slaveholding tribes, such as the Cherokees), and slavery continued until almost 1940 throughout the U.S. under another name: peonage. You can read about that here: https://www.freetheslaves.net/SlaveryinHistory
The site above gives a global timeline on slavery, but it leaves out a lot of important data, and completely ignores how eerily similar U.S. prison system today is to peonage.
I am excited by this kind of writing and the sharing of this important historical information. Beautiful and thank you!
All this would mean very little to the average black female unless the black man which she craves so much also recognizes that kinky hair can be beautiful. I don’t think there is a problem with curly, especially bigger curls but many are on the fence or downright confused/negative about the kinks.
This was probably to distinguish the octoroons from the white women.
This was probably to distinguish the octoroons from the white women.
Not surprised at the small number of Naturals who responded to this article! An article with some importance! Post about Blue Ivy’s hair corners so many remarks and a vast majority of them are so demeaning! Go figure!
90% White! And how in the world did you come up with your percentage? Furthermore, what is your reference? Post it if you have it because your statement comes off like Bull-Hit!
I read about this at least 5 years ago but wondered if this was just a Louisiana thing or did other states use this “law”. This is why to this day I think that women of color should wear their hair in all it’s glory or at least a fashionable scarf instead of throwing on a do-rag or bonnet all the time. The tignon law still seemed pretty pointless. Can’t hide a beautiful face.
I am so glad this article was featured. Brilliant. We need more articles like this.
Thank you for this informative artiicle including the references. As one member wrote we definitely need a day to celebrate the tignon.
I’m curious.….what do all the caped crusaders for caucasians have to say now for even suggesting that white women should join our movement??
oh yes…crickets.
Very interesting, I would love to read more information about the Tigon Law’s, and how it influence other Southern states across the USA.
I so appreciate this article. Fantastic writing, and thanks so much for references. We need people like you as leaders and writers in the community. I love your Youtube channel by the way.
I’ve heard of this before, but it’s always great to share this info! It’s actually been going on prior to that- white women would force enslaved African women on the plantation to cut their hair off to appear less feminine.
The threat of Black women showing their hair is real- which to me is one of the reasons why so many (including myself) are about keeping the “natural hair movement” to women of the diaspora, who have to reclaim their beauty in their own texture and hairstyles.
Thank you so much for including some additional reading materials. I would love to read more about this.
Very interesting. I am going to research and see whether similar laws were passed in my country during colonial times. Because my grandma wears a headscarf all the time, and that’s not part of our culture before colonization. And I do know in most churches here, women were made to cover their hair in scarves up until the early 2000s as a way of being modest, which is definitely another colonial leftover to me
This article is really interesting: Thanx for sharing!
I think we have to highlight the origins of some issues about “Afro Hair” such this one, to understand the meaning of some social facts today.
In Europe, they used to sell human hair in order to make huge wings for wealthy people. Nowadays, we are assisting to the same phenomenon with Indians who are offered their hair that are sold and use mainly — as we are believing — to Black people around the world. But this is viewed negatively.
I wrote some article that can interest you! Enjoy
http://africanlinks.net/2012/12/16/le-cheveux-comme-apparat-esthetique/
Thank you for your sources. The history major in me appreciated them. A lot of people make claims on the internet that are interesting, and I want to believe them but there are no facts behind them. This topic has those facts.
This has truly moved me in a way that I cannot express in words. I hope and pray that more women of color will embrace their natural beauty because it is BEAUTIFUL 😀 I am so happy to be a natural. It is a beautiful thing. We as colored women have been taught that we have “bad hair” but our hair is not bad at all it is curly and fragile and gorgeous when it is taken care of correctly
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I enjoyed this piece! Please share more like it!
Very interesting piece of history indeed.
The sad thing is that we are still covering our hair with weaves, or damaging our with perms to run away from our natural looks as much as possible. The mis-education that our hair is not beautiful enough has sink so deep in the heads of our children that they want to look as white as possible.
I love the fact that BGLH are always concise and straight to the point.
Please include more historical posts. Also, when is the next Hair Icon feature?
Completely fascinating! Thank you for sharing this.
And the irony in that is how many whites tend to like the kinks and curls of Black hair today, so much that they are now attempting to create their own “afros” and “dreadlocks”. Our beauty is something they never could, are not, and never will be able to fight or ignore. Makes me even more excited about my recent big chop and more upset that I was so afraid to do it in the first place, lol
Congrats on your recent big chop P.Cymone!!
For additional irony, check out the so-called “Circassian” beauties marketed in the 19th c. as the apex of “Caucasian” beauty primarily due to their pseudo-afros on ‘white’ bodies.
Wow! I never knew anything about this until now! This makes me even love my hair more than ever, because it is a unique jewel by God!
Hmm… Intriguing. I’ve read similar excerpts about these types of laws. This is an example of a sumptuary law, a type of law that is often used to reinforce a social hierarchy. I’ve also read that they’d shave the heads of new slaves from Africa. Or if the slave women had long, healthy, or elaborately styled hair, the slave masters (or their wives) would cut or shave it off.
My instant response was also to consider this a form of sumptuary law, with added racism. I don’t know how much sumptuary laws were generally implemented in the ‘new’ worlds by colonising powers, do you? I’d be interested to know.
This is some powerful information!!!! Every black woman needs to know this. One of the best articles on here!
Hm… intriguing. I’ve also read that they’d shave the heads of new slaves from Africa. Or if the slave women had long, healthy, or elaborately styled hair, the slave masters (or their wives) would cut or shave it off.
I’ve read of the shaving of heads too.
If my recall is correct, the practice of shaving heads was to erase ethnic-identity/dehumanize (and possibly an attempt to hinder uprisings and revolts…?? Revolts and uprisings happened anyway hence the severe punishment and dehumanizing laws), as hairstyles were often associated w/ community identity and one’s status within said community (tribe), and of course as you’ve implied, envy and jealousy on the part of the wives.
Y’all this ish is deeply rooted.
Shocking n sickening. Well said though anastasia. Thank you for highlighting those points.
… I meant to add (when referring to black men’s developed fashions in the last few decades) that I was referring to the trend for so many young black men and older to shave their heads, some almost all completely removing their own hair. For some it was a great solution to male pattern baldness. But note, the trend was taken up on a huge scale by YOUNG black men from teenage years upwards in age. Shaving their heads removed any indication of their hair type or any indication of Afro hair type for some(!)
Also at this time in Louisiana the mulatto population was so large and so light that they had trouble identifying black women. This system was a way to make identifying the races easier.
Oops! I meant to make one post, but it didn’t show at first, so I made another. And they both showed. Disregard the shorter one.
I never heard of these until today! We are all beautiful women! Now, Let’s let the world catch up to that fact!
Loved this article!
If I recall everything I can from 18th century fashion, wasn’t really big, voluminous hair the “in” thing? And our hair does that naturally, beautifully, right?
Oh. Yeah.
So I can see how certain folks tried to diminish us by squashing our crowns. Welp, they tried it! *cackling*
History is sooo interesting. I honestly believe that if more if us knew our history we would have a little more pride about our hair, our complexion, and our ancestry. Unfortunately, it’s not really what we’re taught (in school), so how would we expect to know the history of our people outside of slavery? Thank you BGLH for posting articles like this. This is the type of space that we need to learn more about ourselves and work on ourselves as women of color.
[…] and otherwise concerning. As far back as the early 1800s, Black women in the United States were legally mandated to cover and obscure their natural hair so as not to threaten “social […]
When I first saw the the title I thought “I don’t want to read this because I’m going to get angry. But it’s our history so I will.” But instead I AM :D!!!! Hahahaha they turned it around and made it into a good thing with a little ingenuity!!! Now the law was still so wrong but that it backfired makes me really, really, really >:)Happy.
This is interesting. This is more things to be proud of. Thanks for keeping me updated and informed. I’m 18 and I kinda wish I would have known about this when I was 16. Maybe hair history will be taught in school or you can be the next teacher to start it. Get your degree, make some changes.
Reading articles such as the one above does nothing but fill me with pride in my ethnicity. It’s so empowering to know that our beauty can radiate in whatever turmoil we may be facing. If only we all knew our worth and beauty.
Can we say Black women when we’re talking about Black women as opposed to women of color?
Women of color refers to ALL non-white women. Native women didn’t have to cover their hair. Asian and Hispanic women didn’t have to cover their hair.
Only Black women. That matters.
Great piece of history none the less.
I’d like to respectfully disagree. In Louisiana at that time, any nonwhite person could be considered black, and oft times were, but not all of the time. Plus it matters that Louisiana had and still has a large mixed race population which could be black, or native, or other people of color. Let’s be honest…if many nonwhite people receive the same treatment, regardless of their color.
I disagree that “many people of colour receive the same treatment.” They do get unfair treatment, but it’s not the same. Anti-blackness exists and is pretty rampant in non-black communities of colour.
Courtney please don’t do that. Non white people in Louisiana were not considered black, not most of the time, not some times. No one get treated like Blacks. Not then and not now. Don’t hijack a beautiful moment from black women by applying it to everybody. This article specifically speaks of black women and we all know the people who represents that.
Actually, in LA there were racial classifications because there were so many mixed race people! Octaroon (one eighth black) quadroon (1/4 black), Mulato etc were created during this time. Yes, lighter skinned people of color were treated “better”, but most of these people (no matter how mixed or not) were all slaves. When you’re on the auction block everyone is seen as cattle. Remember the one drop rule. This was white people’s way of controlling the fragile slavery system. All of it was socially created!
Hope you read my response to you in a previous post but you are definitely INCORRECT about the term Mulatto.
Courtney, there is no such thing as mixed race. Aren’t we talking abouts humans? What other race is there? …Nevermind, bye!
When people refer to race as a social construct they are talking about different ethnicity. Most people understand this
Let’s see, another word that most understand …DUH! I’m aware, and don’t care. I don’t go along with what MOST believe, in order to get along. There is only one RACE; HUMAN.
I think they phrased it this way to include women who have black ancestry, but identify as mixed race or simply Latin@ (in Brazil for example, there are a lot of different categories of identification).
I do think that people should specify women of African descent though, if the issue is specific to women of Afro descent.
The law was specifically written “women of color”, so to state otherwise would impose a particular meaning, according to todays understanding. Researchers point out that often Native men and women (mixed with African or not), were often listed in this fashion in Louisiana as well as in Georgia, the Carolinas and a few other states.
Actually that is not true. Mulatto did not just apply to Native Americans. Census records going back to the mid to late 1800’s would clarify that right out the bat.
Back in the days of the conquistodors, mulatto was a term to refer to one who was *anything* mixed with black, but even then that ranged from area to area in middle and latin america. Those who were Native American and mixed with black, or black mixed with white, both were coined mulatto. Meanwhile, Native American + white=mestizo.
Angela, I’m not talking about Latin America. Here in the United States of America the term mulatto was a term of the Native Americans and the same applied to the indigenous populations in the Caribbean. Mulatto being used to indicate a biracial of black and white parentage is a new late 20th century phenomenon. Native American were mulatto and black people were colored. If you didn’t know that just say you didn’t. The writer of the article made a huge mistake with that one.
I know my post is much later than the article but I had to respond to those who believe Mulatto was ascribed to Native Americans only. Not so. My great-great-great-great grandfather was a Mulatto slave back in the late 1700’s/early 1800’s. I found his slave registry/record and census report. He was a mixed-Black/African.
Well now I’m inspired next week be ridiculously fancy afro for me!! #wegonbestylinyall
Cassandre this piecet was so very interesting!I really enjoyed reading this post and I wanted to say “Thank You” for posting the additional readings and reference material. Keep up the great work!
Great research! Thank you for the information!
Thank you for this fascinating bit of history and for including citations!
[…] otherwise concerning. As far back as the early 1800s, Black women in the United States were legally mandated to cover and obscure their natural hair so as not to threaten “social […]
The laws were also created to distinguish white women from the growing population of quadroons, octoroons and mulattoes (their words, not mine) who looked white but were technically black. They were attracting the attention of white men who were unaware that they were *ahem* not of pure blood. To create a distinction (and to humiliate, as the article noted) ALL women of color (not just blacks) were forced to wear scarves that covered their hair and signified their social-status.
Stephanie it’s such bull. There weren’t any growing population of so-called quadroons, octoroons, mulattoes that needed to be distinguished from whites. Their numbers were practically null compare to whites. So-called quadroons or octoroons were just a white people if any existed. Mulatto were indigenous/native American. Mulatto wasn’t a term used for biracial as it is used today for biracial. Calling a biracial a mulatto came about in the late 20th century. It certainly represented Native Americans in the 18th century.
I think you missed the point and your negative comment has no place here on such an inspiring and credible article.
She was simply informing us on the regulations places on our ancestors’ oppressors and showcasing the ingenuitive spirit of our people.
This should fill you with pride, Queen. Open the ears to your heart.
@Kudos — love you sis!!! I saw that too.
I partly agree and disagree, I believe that headwraps have been part of our culture prior to slavery but the frequency of headwrap wearing may have increased during the 18th century. Look at the moors, they also wore headwraps/turbans and this was prior to slavery.
Only people that wore head wraps that are black or of color were often high in status. So most were wearing them as a fashion statement and a symbol of status pre-slavery. Which means the only thing this could’ve done was increase their status. How did white people not realize that? Lol.
Exactly! Head wrapping/crowning were reserved for ladies and men of higher status in Africa and the Europeans AND Arabs knew that!! . The problem with many African Americans is that they don’t do their own research, they rather have others do the thinking for them. While this article does hold some truth, African women still were used to wearing these fancy bejeweled head wrappings for beauty and because the culture hand’t totally been erased! Black people lost much, but NOT everything.
You can go to Africa and see that some of the African privileged and wealthy wear these ensembles.
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References be damned huh?
[…] Black Women Hair History & Politics […]
Jah alone a christian, so they want us to think stupid…
Mmmm, love this info! Feathers and jewels, sounds fabulous!
Wish there were pictures of these vintage hairstyles!
I love this. Thanks so much for sharing. They’ve tried for centuries to hold us down because they are jealous of our beauty, strength, etc, etc. I love my natural hair and rock it very proud. Funny enough, the most compliments I get about it is from white women. I. Love. It.
Great post! For doubters:http://www.pbs.org/wnet/slavery/experience/gender/feature6.html
And for those who would prefer they say black instead of nonwhite,nonwhite is more inclusive. Especially if you are talking about Louisiana, which is exceptionally diverse.I should know, half of my family is from baton rouge and at first glance you wouldn’t know what the heck “race” I am.
I rather enjoyed reading this article, it was enlightening. Also, I would appreciate it if someone would support my cause. Just click on the link. Don’t worry, it isn’t spam! Thanks! »> http://www.gofundme.com/bs4w14 «<
The more eyes that see it, the better!
I’m a black woman, when I wear makeup in public I notice that white women give me evil stares like I’m not suppose to be doing that.
I was just thinking about this the other day. The way other women react to it, it’s like they want me to minimize my beauty to make them feel beautiful. This article is very interesting. Now I have words for this thing that has been bothering me while I wear makeup, other women especially non-black get very catty with me. It’s strange.
That’s just WEIRD all around (and I’m white).
Some women of color/black women don’t wear their own hair they are wearing other people’s hair (weave)
Yes dear, we know what weave is. And FYI, it’s only ‘someone else’s hair’ when human hair is used. Otherwise, it’ll be synthetic, i.e. has never belonged to anyone other than the person who bought it, much like the boob, lip and butt implants favored by women of most other races these days.
Caucasian women started the weave/wig trends way before the B.C. / A.D. changeover. Roman matrons had wigs and weaves, European royalty did, too, and black women are the latest. Big deal.
Thank for this story, I had no idea. I wore a multi-colored scarf over my locks tied to the side and was compared to a pirate by a coworker instead of her just saying I looked nice. Jealousy and envy nothing but!
How did such a ontributing article turn into a battle about Creoles and Africans with Native American ancestry and their treatment? (My family consists of both in Louisiana). Great article! Please share more!
I really enjoyed reading this Blog post there was truth in every word.
All I can say is wow!.…very interesting.
I came across this while researching for my undergrad thesis on the mulatto/quadroon women of French New Orleans. It’s fascinating.
I remember learning about this. Since history tends to repeat itself, my takeaway was to be prepared for some kind of b.s. pushback against natural hair from the powers that be. *cough, cough — the recent military ban on natural hairstyles.
Hi to all I just like to say I am natural and have been since March 1, 2009 I love everything about my natural hair people always tell me how they just love my hair and how I do this and that I love telling what and how I do but I also tell them that it all depend on your tex of hair but I share all that I know about taking care of it because it is a job but I love it
Growing up in Colonial/Apartheid South Africa I remember many domestic dramas concerning maids who didn’t cover their hair..
Interesting read!!
Wow, I was born and bred in South Louisiana and never knew this! Doesn’t surprise me, though. @Sherrybaby…I never realized the military has placed a ban on natural hair. This is very ridiculous and should be illegal! How are they gonna be like, “Your unit is being deployed next month, and, by the way, it’s time for your touch-up”!! Crazy…
Anotherreason for the scarves was to distinguish black (creole) women from white. Some creoles were passé blanc and the scarves let people know they were women of color.
I always heard my Creole elders talk about tons but didn’t know that there was such a law. I used to listen closely to them speaking Creole but could never pick up on most of what they were saying. Natural hair is so beautiful to me. I’m trying it also but I’m only a year into my journey. I have a ways to go. Can’t wait. My black is beautiful no matter what u try to say or do to me.
I always heard my Creole elders talk about tiyons but didn’t know that there was such a law. I used to listen closely to them speaking Creole but could never pick up on most of what they were saying. Natural hair is so beautiful to me. I’m trying it also but I’m only a year into my journey. I have a ways to go. Can’t wait. My black is beautiful no matter what u try to say or do to me.
You should look up the work of visual artist Firelei Baez. She did an entire body of work based on tignon tradition that’s amazing.
i dont know how true this is but considering slaves come from west africa, west africans wear head ties in elaborate ways all the time.in southern africa as well, its not because of any law passed. its just part of dressing. my assumption is they might have carried on the head tie when they were in america.so i dont know how far true this law is.
I think that has more to do with religion. It’s custom to wear elaborate head wraps and scarfs to church and other events of a high standard like weddings. It’s derived from the tradition of Islam and Christian beliefs that people with hair should cover it before God.. With an African twist 😉
It has nothing to do with religion! We as africans had spiritual religion.
My great-grandmother once told me of a similar “law” (don’t know whether it was a local ordinance, state law, or “unoficial” law) in Mississippi which she called “The Bandana Law.” Her explanation for it was so that very light skinned women such as herself, would not be mistaken for white, and thus save embarassment of shopkeepers and the like who may have addressed these women as “ma’am” instead of “girl, auntie” or their first names.
While looking for ordinances pertaining to free and enslaved Blacks in South Carolina prior to 1860, I learned that it was illegal for enslaved Black males to dress finer that their white masters. These men, regardless of their status, knew how to adorned their bodies even with limited resources.
While looking for ordinances pertaining to free and enslaved Blacks in South Carolina prior to 1860, I learned that it was illegal for enslaved Black males to dress finer that their white masters. These men, regardless of their status, knew how to adorn their bodies even with limited resources.
Because they seduced beige-colored men to sleep HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
My race gets so damn dumb on this. I mean really guys? Banning black women from leaving the hair down(the most beutiful thing in a woman) because your beige(white) wife went jealous?
Because women’s demands were all fulfilled back then and men took orders from bossy white women. lol
I may be reading too much into this, but isn’t this the equivalent of or similar to the yellow badges that Jews were forced to wear? Because the tigon marked them out and ‘limited them’ in their rights and so did the badge?
Sorry I dont think that makes much sense. Interesting article.
No, you are not reading too much into this. For many women of “color” looked white or Spanish so this made it easy to distinguish the slaves.
Wow! This is fascinating. I did a study on women and hair and what you say really illustrates how expressive and powerful hair can be, and how it’s often associated with women’s sexuality in western culture. Try to tame the power and sexuality of women of color, did they? I love that they found a way to express themselves regardless! Ha ha!
I thought the law was to make it illegal for women of color to wear hats (which were always worn in public) -the only head covering that women of color could legally wear were tignons.
that is also true. They also were not allowed to wear any type of jewelry or silk dresses outside of their homes. Basically they were expected to look like bums to make the white women feel better.
I read that this done not to hide beauty or hairstyles but to easily distinguish between “octoroons” and “quadrons” who could easily pass for white women, the headdresses served to let whites know who was black and who was white…
There’s a clear contrast even without the head scarf.
My niece is a quadroon (to use the antiquated terminology) but has blonde hair and blue eyes. I think this was the reason for tignon in the old days-as a mark of blackness regardless of skin color .Great discussion on here!
“the headdresses served to let whites know who was black and who was white” for some reason this makes me happy. Shows how much the women have in common they could not tell the difference without a label identifier.
Interesting information… I was always suspect of the heritage of Marie Therese Chouteau (pictured below), the common-law wife of Pierre Laclède and mother of René Auguste Chouteau, Jr the supposed “founders” of St Louis, Missouri. She was a New Orleans Creole born supposedly of a French father and a Spanish mother. I always believed she was, as defined in the language of that time, either a quadroon or Octoroon.
I have wondered the same thing based on this portrait. You have a sharp eye for history . (I teach it?)
That would make sense using today’s logic but no quadrron or octorron at THAT time would have been considered white or passable for white. The Irish, Italians, Greeks and Portugese for example were not even considered white at that time.
Really most things that happened to women in general in the 1800’s were awful. What about today.
According to my mother, when she was growing up, in the South, it was illegal for BW to wear short pants, but no one else. That’s some serious insecurity. SMH.
In middle school, I wasn’t allow to wear shorts! They always sent me to the principal’s office. My mother said it was because I had a big black butt and the other girls didn’t (it was a small school). I didn’t really believe that was the case till I got older! ;D
You’re mother was likely correct.
Black women just do not realize that their beauty if envied so that they make negative comments to cover up their jealousy. Black women hair and bodies rock!!
[…] policed, both socially and legislatively, since before the inception of the United States. From the Tignon laws of the Creole South requiring black women to cover their glorious hair because it threatened white […]
When i was a kid, I developed very fast, I had large breasts for an 11 year old. I had to wear big clothes so the white girls wouldn’t feel insecure.
For positive information on black history and achievements
https://www.facebook.com/groups/singularity.community/
[…] 2014. Shocking History. Available: on: http://bglh-marketplace.com/2014/07/shocking-history-why-women-of-color-in-the-1800s-were-banned-fr… [Accessed 3 March […]
This was a great article. If only i could wear my head wraps to school 🙁
Consider addressing your school about that matter. You could organize a student movement involving teachers and historical information. This would be a great way to bring awareness to the issue and start a conversation amongst your peers. You can make a difference.
I remember this being a trend, but wasn’t really aware it was a rule to cover their hair. I just assumed it was easier maintenance. My one question though is what did their hair look like before when they were decorating it in elaborate fashions? Was it, “wow, such intricate elegance” or more “wow, is that an animal on your head?” because it makes a difference. French women had a habit of overdoing their hair back in the Rococo era. Huge wigs with horse hair and wooden birds and other random crap. I would understand a dress code against that.
[…] Turbans, Voodoo, & Tignon Laws in Louisiana Why Women of Color Were Banned from Wearing Their Hair In Public Tignon of Colonial Louisiana Tignon Laws (Prezi […]
[…] Source […]
1800’s and 18th century are not the same thing.
always jealous of us lol take it as a compliment sistas
[…] ordered to cover their hair in public?” asks Cassandre Beccai (Check out her entire piece here : http://bglh-marketplace.com/2014/07/shocking-history-why-women-of-color-in-the-1800s-were-banned-fr…😉 she found a “law” of sorts that demanded women of colour in Louisiana to cover their hair with […]
[…] Shocking History: Why Women of Color in the 1800s Were Banned From Wearing Their Hair in Public […]
[…] Bey donning a Badu-like headwrap with a tangle in a front framing her pleasing face. Centuries ago, black American women were banned from wearing their hair out in public. So, many wore their hair in colorful Tignons or wraps to […]
[…] Bey donning a Badu-like headwrap with a tangle in a front framing her pleasing face. Centuries ago, black American women were banned from wearing their hair out in public. So, many wore their hair in colorful Tignons or wraps to […]
[…] Bey donning a Badu-like headwrap with a tangle in a front framing her pleasing face. Centuries ago, black American women were banned from wearing their hair out in public. So, many wore their hair in colorful Tignons or wraps to […]
[…] ordered to cover their hair in public?” asks Cassandre Beccai (Check out her entire piece here : http://bglh-marketplace.com/2014/07/shocking-history-why-women-of-color-in-the-1800s-were-banned-fr…😉 she found a “law” of sorts that demanded women of colour in Louisiana to cover their hair with […]
This goes to show now why the media and all these reports and surveys always define Black women as unattractive, undatable, unmarriageable, and the notion that White women are the most beautiful in the world in order to demean Black women. Well Black women, now you know that you are very beautiful, and your beauty has been noticed even during Slavery times in this country. Why did you think that those White men had to have Black women even if it took force because they desired them! That is just propaganda to keep Black women down!
It really is because seeing this article confirms what ive always believed… Thry see who we are . they know we are beautiful and string. Thats why they must brainwash others to not see it… Smh..
I had no idea but I’m not surprised either. It seems like it was such another world back then, but then I see black women still being shamed into wearing long wigs, extensions and weaves, and natural hair being skewered, even among other black women. I hope the more people see what happened back then that it will change their way of thinking about hair and the concept of beauty.
“It seems like it was such another world back then”
____________________________________________
No love, it’s the same world, different time. Nothing changed. It’s just orchestrated differently. Don’t believe the hype
I said ‘it seems,’ not ‘it was.’
Jewels and feathers in their hair? I bet some of them were absolutely gorgeous. I hope the style makes a resurgence.
And a jealous, bald old white guy!
Jennifer, this might surprise you, but most of the natural hairstyles that you see are just that…Natural. When you see hair piled on top of hair then that’s when you know you’re dealing with extensions. Black hair will grow just as long or longer than your hair when it’s kept natural and free of all the bullshit chemicals that are sometimes used…
there’s not a lot of documentation besides the idea of braided crowns — the artists who were willing to work with the Free Blacks and the Quadroon community also had to deal with the jealousy guarded social lines…but it’s interesting that you would understand a dress code against Baroque hairstyles, even if they were only enforced upon one group. (Feast of All Saints is lovingly researched, if you can deal with Anne Rice)
The law, according to my grandmother, was started so the white people would be able to tell the light skinned creole octoroons and quadroons from white women. Many of these mixed women were beautiful beyond belief and attracted white men to contract for them during the quadroons balls. The desire to “put them in their place” came as a result of too many instances of mistaken idenity.
[…] white women would often hack off the hair of their enslaved female servants because it supposedly “confused white men” […]
[…] white women would often hack off the hair of their enslaved female servants because it supposedly “confused white men” […]
[…] white women would often hack off the hair of their enslaved female servants because it supposedly “confused white men” […]
[…] del Norte leyes que obligaban a las mujeres africanas a ocultar su pelo con un pañuelo. Las Tignon Laws de Luisiana buscaban «preservar la moralidad pública» evitando que se produjesen relaciones […]
[…] del Norte leyes que obligaban a las mujeres africanas a ocultar su pelo con un pañuelo. Las Tignon Lawsde Luisiana buscaban «preservar la moralidad pública» evitando que se produjesen relaciones […]
[…] La question de la texture des cheveux des Noirs (de grâce, ne dites pas « ethniques ») ne date pas d’hier. Au temps de l’esclavage, les femmes blanches coupaient souvent les cheveux de leurs esclaves femmes, sous prétexte que cela « troublait l’homme blanc ». […]
[…] La question de la texture des cheveux des Noirs (de grâce, ne dites pas « ethniques ») ne date pas d’hier. Au temps de l’esclavage, les femmes blanches coupaient souvent les cheveux de leurs esclaves femmes, sous prétexte que cela « troublait l’homme blanc ». […]
[…] nothing new, nor are the stigmas associated with black hair. Historically, black women have endured Tignon laws, making it illegal to show their hair in public. Employment discrimination against any style that […]
Had noo idea.. Wow thanks for this. Will be sharing..
[…] white women would often hack off the hair of their enslaved female servants because it supposedly “confused white men” […]
[…] and that is proven through history. Believe or not, back in the 1700s there was a law called “Tignon Laws” in Louisiana which forced women of color to wear head wraps or tignons. This law was passed […]
I first heard about this on your article, but I can’t find anything on when the law was abolished? If anyone has information that would be lovely!
[…] La question de la texture des cheveux des noirs (de grâce, ne dites pas « ethniques ») ne date pas d’hier. Au temps de l’esclavage, les femmes blanches coupaient souvent les cheveux de leurs esclaves femmes, sous prétexte que cela « troublait l’homme blanc ». […]
[…] La question de la texture des cheveux des Noirs (de grâce, ne dites pas « ethniques ») ne date pas d’hier. Au temps de l’esclavage, les femmes blanches coupaient souvent les cheveux de leurs esclaves femmes, sous prétexte que cela « troublait l’homme blanc ». […]
[…] La texture des cheveux des noirs (de grâce, ne dites pas «ethniques») ne date pas d’hier. Au temps de l’esclavage, les femmes blanches coupaient souvent les cheveux de leurs esclaves femmes, sous prétexte que cela «troublait l’homme blanc». […]
Frankly speaking, I haven’t heard about this law before, so thanks for the enlightening post! I think, such a hairstyle is a founder of the modern bandana styles. Nowadays the black women still wear updos and I really like this style. Personally I’ve recently found a great collection of updos for black women on https://therighthairstyles.com/updo-hairstyles-for-black-women/, by the way, some of them are made with bandana. I’m going to try those that I liked most of all. Hopefully, this information will be useful for someone.
[…] choice in the Black community. It was an escape from being a symbol of buffoonery and amusement. Under slavery, black women were actually banned from wearing their natural hair in public. Black men are opposing weave because we understand that it’s time to embrace who we really […]
VERY INTERESTING TO KNOW, THANK YOU!!! I AM IMMEDIATELY SHARING THIS WITH MY MULTI-RACIAL NIECES WHO DO NOT KNOW WHO THEY ARE!!!