The First Trial of Voodoo Gatherings
Congo Square in New Orleans, Louisiana was the main place of gathering for the earliest Voodoo practitioners in the 19th century. It was then closed to them for fear of uprising, but then in the 1840s it was re-opened to them. From then until the beginning of the Civil War, it would remain as a mainstay for the Voodoo gatherings and rituals. The New Orleans newspapers began to defend the Voodoo practitioners in its articles most likely because of the publicity it gave them. In 1850, police arrested a large group of white and black women who had gathered together for a Voodoo dance. The arrests were said to be due to indecent character.
The women who were arrested fought back against these violations against them. This marks one of the first times in history that Voodoo women fought back against the law. They summoned a counsel who fought for the them saying that the practice of Voodoo was nothing more than a religion. Therefore, the arrests against them were unjustified. However, the courts took a different spin on the trial and used the law that white women and slaves were not allowed to assemble in any way or form. From this time on, the Voodoo practitioners started to give the police a hard time. The struggle between the opposing sides had only begun.
(Source: Tallant, Robert. Voodoo in New Orleans. 1994)
