MUTINOUS WOMEN

A welcome retelling of a forgotten segment of American history.

In her latest work, DeJean, author of How Paris Became Paris and many other works of history, unearths the story of the unlikely women who became the Gulf Coast’s founding mothers. In 1719, a ship called La Mutine set sail from France and docked in New France, what is now Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Inside were more than 130 sickly women, ravaged human cargo destined for the Colonies as punishment for alleged crimes. Records show that many of the women were charged with prostitution, but in reality, many could not defend themselves or even understand the accusations against them. Oppressed by a system that detested the impoverished, they became victims of slave ship owner John Law, who saw them as an opportunity to fill a need for 6,000 French settlers to work in the Colonies. Together with a craven warden from the women’s prison, Law sealed the fate of these young, often illiterate women without their input. “French authorities,” writes the author, “set no ground rules; no one considered the exact terms on which female detainees were to be shipped off ‘to the colonies’ or even what the authorities should call the process they were establishing.” Only 62 survived the voyage. What transpired after they landed ashore, however, is a clear demonstration of the beauty and power of the feminine spirit, and DeJean chronicles their experiences in well-written, often gripping prose. During their passage, which included forced dwelling in dangerous cargo holds, some women became lifelong friends. Upon their arrival, many were married off to local soldiers who had returned from war, and they set about making lives for themselves and their new husbands. Over time, many fought to clear their names, and some became wealthy property owners or ran successful businesses. Regardless of the directions of their new lives, together they ensured that their children “enjoyed experiences and opportunities that they themselves had never known.”

Readers will come away fascinated and inspired by this relatively unknown tale of strength and the human spirit.