Congo Square

Congo Square is defined by a wide, open expanse of grass framed by ancient live oaks. In the eighteen hundreds, this was the only place in New Orleans where enslaved people could legally gather on Sundays. They brought drums, performed traditional African dances, and traded goods. When the police chief in eighteen seventeen ordered them to congregate only here, he intended to monitor their activities. Instead, the gatherings preserved rhythms and musical styles that eventually became the foundation for American jazz.